Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-04

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 5.5)

It is commonly believed that extinction of specific species of plants and animals is the major environmental issue while others argue that there are more important environmental problems which need more attention.

Every specie of plants and animals has his own importance in the ecosystem. So it is concerning that more and more species are endangering and extinct. It can cause disturbance in the ecosystem because ecosystem is maintained by a system in which an animal is predator of one animal and prey of other. For instance, In 1980s Australian government eradicated a specie of bird because of his drastically growing population. Later they observed that it was predator of hoppers which destroy their crops. So they have to import these birds from China. Some endangered plants species are also very beneficial for soil health and their medicinal uses. For instance, a plant name Terios Magonas is used in orthopedics medications is endangering rapidly.

Global warming and non-biodegradable materials are major environmental issues. Firstly, global warming causes many issues like climate change and rapid melting of glaciers; which leads to flood in several area of the globe. Climate change affects the crops production also disrupts the cultivation and harvesting timeline. For instance, weathers are becoming severe as compared to 1900s . Every years the average temperature is going 0.5C up. Secondly, non-biodegradable material is causing pollution. Because it does not decompose itself and remain hundreds of years on earth.

I believe other environmental problems are important and need solution than the loss of species. It will also helpful to save species.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While the first body paragraph provides a specific example regarding the Australian bird population, the explanation of global warming in the second paragraph is more descriptive than analytical. The conclusion is brief and lacks a summary of the main points, which limits the depth of the argument. To reach a higher band, ensure that the personal opinion is more thoroughly integrated throughout the essay rather than just stated at the end, and provide more detailed explanations for the broader environmental issues mentioned.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, each with a central topic. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'For instance' are used to link ideas, though some transitions feel mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, although the connection between the final sentence of the second paragraph and the rest of the text is slightly abrupt. The progression of ideas is logical, moving from the importance of biodiversity to the urgency of global environmental threats. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with some attempts at topic-specific terminology such as 'ecosystem', 'non-biodegradable', and 'cultivation'. However, there are several inaccuracies and awkward phrasings, such as 'every specie' (should be 'species'), 'his own importance' (should be 'its'), and 'endangering rapidly' (should be 'becoming endangered'). The use of 'Terios Magonas' appears to be a hallucinated or incorrect term, which affects the precision of the argument. Expanding the range of vocabulary to include more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing would improve the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('Every specie... has his own'), article usage ('a system in which an animal is predator of one animal'), and pluralisation ('Every years'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some misplaced semicolons and commas. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band score. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and refining complex sentence construction will be beneficial.

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