Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-30

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people say that the main environmental problem of our time is the loss of particular species of plants and animals. Others say that there are more important environmental problems.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

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

Student answer (Band 7.0)

Some people argue that the major environmental issue currently is the loss of particular species of both plants and animals while others contend that there are more pressing environmental issues. Both sides of these arguments will be discussed in the upcoming paragraphs.

On one hand, various species of plants and animals are at an increasing risk of becoming extinct. Due to littering and pollution, many animals can get stuck or choke on non-biodegradable material such as plastic, resulting in their deaths. Overall, many endangered species, such as the Red Panda and the Amur Leopard, are soon to become extinct because of the lack of environmental care. If more precautions are not taken, more species could become extinct, resulting in the disruption of food chains and essentially the entire operation of many ecosystems.

On the other hand, these environmental issues not only affect flora and fauna, but the entire planet as well. Attributable to greenhouse gases released by vehicles, climate change is becoming more of a problem which in turn is affecting global warming as well. It has been reported that more glaciers and ice caps are melting because of the erratic increase in the temperature of the planet. This negatively impacts both the habitat of animals living in these environments but humans residing well.

In conclusion, it is vital that we do not undermine either one of these concerning problems caused by environmental neglect. Both are equally grave problems that we must address soon, otherwise we might be too late.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear opinion in the conclusion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention the loss of species and climate change, the discussion remains at a surface level. To reach a higher band, you should provide more depth by explaining the long-term consequences of these issues or providing more specific, analytical examples. The position is clear, but the 'opinion' part of the prompt could be more explicitly integrated throughout the essay rather than just appearing in the final paragraph. Overall, the task is addressed, but the ideas could be more fully extended.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two viewpoints. Cohesive devices such as 'On one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. The progression of ideas is smooth, and the relationship between sentences is generally clear. To improve, you could vary the cohesive devices further to avoid a slightly mechanical feel and ensure that referencing between sentences is always precise.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'non-biodegradable,' 'flora and fauna,' and 'erratic increase.' There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, which is generally successful. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in collocation, such as 'operation of many ecosystems' or 'undermine either one of these concerning problems.' While these do not impede communication, they prevent the vocabulary from being considered 'flexible' or 'sophisticated.' Expanding your repertoire of topic-specific collocations would help elevate your score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several error-free sentences, and your control of grammar is generally good. However, there are some minor slips, such as 'humans residing well' (which is grammatically incomplete) and 'both the habitat of animals... but humans' (which lacks parallel structure). These errors are infrequent and do not cause difficulty for the reader. To achieve a higher band, focus on ensuring that complex structures are perfectly formed and that your punctuation is consistently accurate throughout the text.

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