Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-01

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 6.5)

Opinions differ regarding the environmental problems. While some people say that the major problem is the loss of particular species of plants and animals, others believe that there are more crucial problems than those. Examining both view points provides a clearer understanding of the matter.

The loss of particular species of plants and animals has affected the ecosystem. This is mainly because organisms depend on each other both directly and indirectly. For example, if we consider a food chain containing grass, goat and lion and lion goes to extinction. It means that the number of goats will increase and consequently reducing the amount of grass. As a result, the loss of any species in the ecosystem will affect the environment. However this does not fully explain the serious environmental problems we are facing today. Therefore other factors need to be considered.

On the other hand, there are important factors such as pollution. This is the contamination of the environment by harmful substances or waste that negatively affects humans, animals, and ecosystems. One example of a pollutant is smoke fumes from factories. When this fumes are released to the atmosphere in large amounts, they can combine with the rain to form acid rain. This can cause corrosion of iron sheets or kill aquatic organisms.

To conclude, although the loss of particular species of plants and animals can affect the environment, I strongly believe that there are other serious factors such as pollution which can affect the air, soil and the water.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion in the conclusion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While the example of the food chain is relevant, the explanation of 'other factors' is quite brief. To reach a higher band, the essay would benefit from more detailed exploration of why pollution or other environmental issues might be considered more 'crucial' than species loss, rather than just defining them. The position is consistent, but the depth of analysis is slightly underdeveloped in the second body paragraph.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

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 'While', 'For example', 'On the other hand', and 'To conclude' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions are a bit mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. For instance, the transition from the food chain example to the conclusion of the first paragraph feels slightly abrupt. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task. You use some topic-specific terms like 'ecosystem', 'extinction', 'contamination', and 'pollutant'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are minor inaccuracies in collocation and word choice, such as 'go to extinction' (should be 'becomes extinct') and 'this fumes' (should be 'these fumes'). To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms and idiomatic expressions to demonstrate a wider range of lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors, particularly with pluralization and article usage (e.g., 'this fumes', 'the rain', 'the air, the soil and the water'). Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'if we consider a food chain containing grass, goat and lion and lion goes to extinction'. Increasing the variety of complex structures and ensuring subject-verb agreement will help improve this score.

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