Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-10-22

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 6.0)

Zoos are considered shelters for animals in both wild and dangerous categories. I disagree with closing zoos. Although keeping animals in captivity raises ethical concerns, zoos still play a vital role in conservation, recreational activities, and scientific research.

The most important reason to keep zoos open is their contribution to wildlife by providing refuge and food. Many species are endangered due to habitat loss, forest decline, and climate change. Zoos provide a safe environment for breeding programs that help increase and maintain the number of endangered animals. For instance, the giant panda continues to decline and is at risk of extinction, if zoos were closed, it would lose its home and could disappear forever.

Secondly, zoos also play an essential role as entertainment and amusement sites, as children as well as adults enjoy themselves a lot whenever they visit zoos. They create emotional attachment towards the animals as well as a sense of awareness to care about wildlife. For example, when I was a child, I visited the zoo once every month because I enjoyed myself a lot there, and felt a connection of warmth and happiness when I saw a lot of different types of species there.

On the other hand, some zoos are poorly managed, with small cages and inadequate food, which causes health problems to the animals. But the solution of this problem is not to close zoos, but to maintain a healthy lifestyle there with proper management.

In conclusion, although modern technology has reduced our need to visit often, zoos remain essential for protecting animals.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear from the introduction (“I disagree with closing zoos”) and remains consistent. You address both the benefits of zoos and the concern about poor conditions, and the conservation paragraph gives a relevant example through breeding programmes and pandas. However, some ideas are less fully developed than others. The entertainment paragraph relies mainly on personal enjoyment and does not explain in much detail how public interest supports wildlife protection. The panda example also needs more precise explanation: it suggests pandas would lose their home if zoos closed, without acknowledging that their natural habitat is not the zoo. Develop the evidence and connect each reason more directly to why zoos should remain open.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, separate paragraphs for conservation and entertainment, a counterargument, and a conclusion. Linking phrases such as “The most important reason,” “Secondly,” and “On the other hand” make the progression easy to follow. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent organisation and shows some flexibility in sequencing ideas. However, the links can feel mechanical, and the relationship between some claims is not fully clear. For example, the panda example moves quickly from extinction risk to losing a home, while the conclusion introduces “modern technology” without developing that point earlier. Use more precise referencing and transitions, and ensure the conclusion synthesises the arguments already discussed.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate your main points, including “conservation,” “endangered,” “breeding programs,” and “habitat loss.” These choices show an attempt to use language beyond basic everyday terms. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, which limits precision. “Animals in both wild and dangerous categories” is unclear, “forest decline” is not a natural description of habitat loss, and “a sense of awareness to care about wildlife” is awkward. Repetition of “enjoyed myself a lot” also narrows the range in the entertainment paragraph. Aim for more precise collocations and vary repeated expressions, while keeping the vocabulary appropriate to the topic.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a concession in “Although keeping animals in captivity raises ethical concerns” and a relative clause in “which causes health problems to the animals.” Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, but some grammatical errors remain. In the panda example, the comma splice joins two independent clauses: “the giant panda continues to decline …, if zoos were closed.” Separate these with a full stop or use a suitable conjunction. There are also issues with articles and number, such as “as entertainment and amusement sites” and “different types of species.” Review sentence boundaries and check article and plural choices; greater control would make the argument smoother and more accurate.

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