Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-05

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 5.0)

Nowadays, environmental problems has become a global issue. Some people believe that extinction of certain animals and plants are the most serious environmental problem,while in my opinion other factors such as pollution and deforestation are even more significance.

To begin with, extinction of animals and plants is the most serious environmental issue because every species play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance. If any species extinct, it can disrupt the entire food chain and negatively effect the entire ecosystem. Moreover, many plants and animals contributes to biodiversity, which is essential for health and environment. For example, bees are

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response is significantly under the 250-word minimum requirement, which severely impacts the ability to develop ideas. While you introduce both sides of the argument and state an opinion, the essay is incomplete, ending abruptly mid-sentence. Because the response is less than half the required length, it is impossible to fully address the prompt or provide the necessary supporting arguments and examples required for a higher band. To improve, you must ensure you complete the task by writing at least 250 words and providing a balanced discussion followed by a clear, well-supported conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay shows a basic attempt at logical organization with an introduction and a body paragraph. However, because the text is incomplete, there is no clear progression of ideas or a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with' and 'Moreover' are used correctly to link ideas, but the lack of a full structure makes it difficult to assess your ability to manage cohesion over a complete piece of writing. To improve, focus on planning a full essay structure with clear topic sentences and a logical flow that leads to a summary of your position.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary for the limited text provided, using terms like 'ecological balance', 'biodiversity', and 'disrupt'. However, there are some errors in word choice and form, such as 'are even more significance' (should be 'significant') and 'many plants and animals contributes' (subject-verb agreement error). While the vocabulary is generally relevant to the topic, the limited length restricts your ability to showcase a wider range of lexical items or more sophisticated collocations. Focus on ensuring correct word forms and expanding your vocabulary to cover more complex environmental concepts.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains several grammatical errors that hinder clarity. For example, 'environmental problems has become' (subject-verb agreement), 'extinction... are' (subject-verb agreement), and 'negatively effect' (should be 'affect'). There is a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but the frequency of errors is noticeable. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and the distinction between nouns and verbs (e.g., effect vs. affect). Proofreading your work for these common grammatical slips will help improve your accuracy significantly.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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