Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-11-01
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)
Animals in zoos are considered to be safe as compared to other places in many ways. Some people believe that zoos should be closed because animals are no longer needed to kept in zoos. I strongly disagree with this viewpoint and this essay will discuss the reasons.
the first and foremost reason is that zoos provides educational benefits and entertainment. In addition, children learns a lot about animal's behaviour and social things whenever they visit the zoo. To illustrates, in many countries like in Thailand, animals are kept in safe environment and tourists goes to get their pupils entertained. Further, zoos develope awareness among all individuals of all cultures in a positive way, so that they gain benefit about animal's habitat.
Secondly, protection of endangered species is another benefit to kept animals in zoos rather than at homes. Also, zoos provide proper environment and healthcare to species from becoming extinct. For instance, in developed countries, giant panadas and tigers are kept safe from any danger by all means. However, zoos play an important role to saves lives of many animals or plants species that are at the danger.
On the whole, it is widely believed that zoos have a special place for animals and provides different entertaining activities to children for awareness. In my opinion, government should make strategies for the the wildlife species directly or indirectly.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
Your position is clear: you strongly disagree with closing zoos, and you give two relevant reasons—education and entertainment, and protection of endangered species. Examples such as children learning about animal behaviour and pandas and tigers being protected help connect your points to the topic. However, the ideas are only partly developed: the educational benefit is asserted rather than explained in detail, and the conservation point would be stronger with a specific example of breeding or reintroduction. The conclusion also shifts to a general recommendation for government strategies instead of directly reinforcing why zoos should remain open. The response is 23 words below the required minimum, which limits the space available to develop and support your arguments.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs signalled by “the first and foremost reason” and “Secondly,” and a concluding paragraph. This makes the main line of argument easy to identify. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear, and several linking expressions feel mechanical or do not show the relationship between ideas precisely. For example, “Also” and “Further” introduce points without explaining how they extend the previous claim, while “However” introduces a supporting statement rather than a contrast. Some references, such as “they” in the sentence about children and animal behaviour, could be clearer. Use fewer formulaic transitions and connect each example explicitly to the reason it supports.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “educational benefits,” “endangered species,” “healthcare,” “extinct,” and “habitat,” so the reader can follow your main ideas. There are also attempts to use less common expressions, such as “develope awareness” and “special place,” but some choices or combinations are inaccurate or unnatural. Examples include “animals are no longer needed to kept in zoos,” “gain benefit about animal's habitat,” and “at the danger.” Spelling errors such as “develope” and “panadas” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise collocations and check word forms: for instance, describe zoos as raising awareness of habitats and protecting species from extinction. This would make your vocabulary more natural and exact.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, including clauses introduced by “because,” “whenever,” and “so that.” This gives the response some structural variety, and the overall meaning is generally understandable. However, errors in agreement, verb forms, articles, and sentence openings occur repeatedly. For example, “zoos provides” and “children learns” need plural subjects with plural verbs, while “animals are no longer needed to kept” requires a different verb construction. “To illustrates” and “tourists goes” also show problems with verb forms and agreement. Capitalisation at the start of sentences is inconsistent, as in “the first and foremost reason.” Review subject–verb agreement and infinitive/passive patterns, then proofread each sentence for complete, correctly punctuated structure.
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