Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-10-10

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

We no longer need to have animals kept in zoos, so zoos should be closed.

Do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

In recent years, many individuals think animals should not be kept in zoos and zoos itself should be permenently closed while some has opposite thought. I firmly disagree, as keeping animals in zoo would include many reasons like visiting, or keeping them safe.

One of the main reason for animals being in zoo is the safety for them along with humans. There is as such no safe place for wildlife which makes situations harder for them to live independently and due to this not only animals will suffer but humans too as many individuals suffers from phobia. This can involve fear in people to live freely. For example, lions roaming around the city or are freely available on street would psychological impact individuals to get out of their houses. This can have negavtive concequences as humans can also harm them to protect themselves so the safer option for them would be to be at zoos.

On the second hand, animals placed in zoos can also be visited. People who are scared of animals can take this option positively as it would only include watching them withouth any risk factors. The visiting option can also increase the demand for animals along with their safety. For example, kids who are afraid of animals but still wants to explore how wild life processes, zoo becomes the best option for them. This can again result in letting out the criousity while being safe aswell.

In conclusion, while many people still have a mindset of animals being free from zoos and zoos should be closed, I still think placing these creatures at safe place like zoo would bring many benefits to humans as well as animals.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear from the introduction (“I firmly disagree”) and remains consistent in the conclusion. You give two relevant reasons for keeping zoos: protecting both animals and people, and allowing people—especially children—to observe wildlife safely. The examples of lions in a city and children learning about wildlife help illustrate these points. However, the discussion does not fully address the central question of whether zoos should be closed: it assumes zoos provide safety without explaining how they protect animals or acknowledging concerns about captivity and animal welfare. The point about people’s fear is also less directly connected to the benefits of zoos than the educational example. Develop these ideas with more specific explanation and evidence to make the argument more convincing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting separate reasons, and a conclusion that restates your position. The progression from safety to visiting and learning is easy to follow, and examples are placed alongside the relevant points. Some linking is mechanical or unclear, however. “On the second hand” is not an appropriate transition, and repeated phrases such as “This can” and “For example” make connections feel formulaic. In the first body paragraph, the relationship between wildlife having no safe place, human phobia, and animals being safer in zoos needs clearer explanation. Use more precise transitions and make the cause-and-effect links explicit so the reader can follow each argument without having to infer them.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use a range of topic-related vocabulary, including “wildlife,” “phobia,” “risk factors,” and “curiosity,” and your meaning is generally understandable. However, noticeable spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision: “permenently,” “negavtive concequences,” and “criousity” are misspelled, while “the demand for animals” does not clearly express the intended benefit of zoo visits. Some phrases are also unnatural, such as “wild life processes” and “letting out the criousity.” Aim for accurate spelling and more natural collocations, particularly when explaining educational and conservation benefits. Replacing vague expressions with specific terms will help your ideas sound clearer and more appropriate for an academic argument.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including a contrast clause in the introduction and cause-and-effect structures such as “which makes situations harder for them to live independently.” The overall meaning can usually be understood, but some errors in agreement, articles, and sentence construction remain. For example, “many individuals think … while some has opposite thought” has an agreement problem and an incomplete-sounding second clause; “One of the main reason” should use a plural noun; and “kids … still wants” does not agree in number. The sentence beginning “There is as such no safe place” is also awkwardly constructed. Review subject–verb agreement and article use, and break long sentences into clearer units while retaining some varied structures.

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