Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-10-26

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)

Nowadays, the animals are treated in a very cruel manner in zoos.Many people believe that keeping the animals in zoo is no more required to them.I strongly agree with this,in this essay the drawbacks of keeping different species away from their habitats will be explain.

First of all, keeping wildlife away from forest is a leading cause of animal extinction.For instance, having no access to their habitat, result into less breeding or no breeding at all.Moreover, animals do have rights just like humans,that is why they should never be used for entertainment purposes.

On the other hand, there are other alternatives to see animals rather than forcefully keeping them in cages.For example people who love wildlife visits national parks and woodlands in protective vehicles where they can see them more closely, along with safety standards.As a result more number of people are opposing the idea of zoos, and opined for its closure.

On the contrary, children love to visit zoos and have an interaction with them but, at the same time so many cases of attacks on children has been reported. For example, when animals are aggresive they attack on human eventhough they are behind the bars but it can traumatize the children.

On balance, people are more concerned about the freedom of animals, and demands the government to close the zoos.I also believe that animals should not be captured, because of human activities many species are endangered while other are extincted.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear: you strongly agree that zoos should close, and you give relevant reasons, including harm to animals, reduced breeding, entertainment, and possible attacks on children. However, the response addresses the issue only partially because several claims are asserted rather than explained. For example, the link between keeping animals away from forests and extinction is not made clear, and the national-park alternative is mentioned without showing how it could replace zoos’ roles. The paragraph about children also introduces a counterpoint but does not fully weigh it against your position. The response is 242 words, so it does not meet the required minimum of 250. Develop each main reason with a clearer explanation or specific example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, supporting paragraphs, a counterpoint, and a conclusion. The reader can generally follow the main ideas, and examples such as national parks and attacks on children help organise the discussion. However, progression between points is not always logical: “On the other hand” introduces an alternative, while “On the contrary” then introduces a concession, but the relationship between these ideas is not fully clarified. Some linking phrases feel mechanical, and the conclusion repeats the position without drawing the reasons together. Improve cohesion by using transitions that accurately show contrast or addition, and make each paragraph develop one central point before moving to the next.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “habitats,” “species,” “extinction,” “national parks,” and “endangered,” which helps communicate the subject. There is also some attempt to use more formal expressions, such as “protective vehicles” and “entertainment purposes.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward, sometimes making the intended meaning less clear. For example, “no more required to them” and “opined for its closure” are not natural ways to express these ideas; “aggressive” is also misspelled. Aim to learn vocabulary in common combinations and choose precise terms, such as “wildlife reserves” or “support closure,” rather than relying on broad or translated-sounding phrases.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a reason clause beginning “because” and a contrast introduced by “although” in the discussion of animal attacks. However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to read. Examples include “the drawbacks … will be explain,” “having no access to their habitat, result,” and “people who love wildlife visits,” which show problems with verb forms, agreement, and sentence construction. Articles and punctuation also need attention, as in “in zoo” and the missing spaces after full stops. Practise building accurate sentences with subordinate clauses, and check subject–verb agreement and verb forms before submitting.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.