Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-31

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)

It is often argued that the major environmental problem currently, is the loss of particular species of plants and animals. Some people disagree with this, stating that there are more important environmental problems. I agree with the latter as although the loss of species of plants and animals is a serious issue, I think that there are other more urgent environmental problems that need immediate attention.

We need to find the root cause loss of some species of plants and animals which I think is mostly due to human activities. Human activities lead to degradation of the environment, not only affecting plants and animals, but also the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat. Cutting down trees to be used for building and making charcoal depletes the affected trees and the smoke from burning charcoal pollutes the air. It also destroys animal habitats forcing them to find new habitats which might not always work out, leading to their death. Humans need to be educated on the dangers that arise from their activities and find ways to combat them. It is true that we need resources that only mother earth can provide, but its best to prepare counter measures, for example, planting five new trees for each cut.

Another environmental problem that needs urgent looking into is global warming. Global warming which is mainly caused by human activities has led to dire effects on mother earth. An example is increased temperatures on earth which have caused water to dry up in the oceans and seas. This decrease in sea level leads to loss of habitat of aquatic creatures, forcing them into unfamiliar waters where they might not survive which further shows that the loss of species of plants and animals is only a side effect to human activities and to fix this, we need to find ways to regulate them.

In conclusion, the loss of various species of living things is a problem which has been caused by another major problem, human activities, which is what needs regulation so as to avoid completely destroying our planet.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses both views and provides a clear personal opinion. You successfully argue that species loss is a symptom of broader human-driven environmental issues. However, the development is slightly uneven. While you provide examples like deforestation and global warming, the link between these and the prompt's specific debate could be more nuanced. For instance, you focus heavily on the causes of environmental degradation rather than explicitly contrasting why global warming might be considered a 'more important' problem than species loss. To reach a higher band, ensure that your supporting arguments directly address the comparative nature of the prompt, rather than just listing environmental issues.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, such as human activities or global warming. You use some cohesive devices like 'Another environmental problem' and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes a bit mechanical, and the use of referencing could be more sophisticated. For example, the transition between the discussion of species loss and the broader issue of human activity could be smoother. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, and paragraphing is used appropriately throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'degradation', 'depletes', 'habitats', and 'regulate'. There are some minor issues with collocation and word choice, such as 'urgent looking into' (better: 'urgent attention') and 'mother earth' (which is slightly informal for an academic essay). You attempt to use less common vocabulary, but some phrasing feels repetitive, particularly the repeated use of 'human activities'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic synonyms and vary your collocations to demonstrate a more flexible command of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'the root cause loss of' (missing 'of'), 'its best' (should be 'it's'), and 'side effect to' (should be 'side effect of'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Your control of punctuation is generally good, but you should pay closer attention to preposition usage and subject-verb agreement. Incorporating a wider variety of complex structures, such as conditional sentences or passive voice constructions, would help demonstrate a more advanced grammatical range.

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