Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-07

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)

Some people say the main environmental problem of our time is the loss of particular species of plants and animal . That is true to some extends because here on the earth every organism depends upon the other organism for its food . That mean every organism whether it is human or lion, all are the part of the food chain . For example if there are lions in the forest but all the deer are killed by a disease so, all the lions will die due hunger . Then the entire forest ecosystem will be destroyed . And in an ecosystem every specie have a specific role for example, herbivores animals eat grass and control the grass growth . And even a very small animal could play the most important role . Even without honeybee this food chain will not survive .

While there are some other people that say there are more important environmental problems than the loss of particular specie of plants and animals . They usually focus on deforestation , global warming and climate change . They are telling truth that global warming and climate change are big problems . But that will not make the loss of particular specie of plant or animal a small problem . Because that specie have been living on earth since a very beginning and it is killed because of the activities of human . That means every wild animal will become the victim of the human activities and at the end the only the humans and their domestic animal will live on the earth .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both views regarding environmental problems and provides a personal opinion, though the position is somewhat implicit rather than explicitly stated in the introduction. The ideas are relevant, such as the discussion of food chains and human impact, but they are somewhat under-developed. For instance, the argument regarding global warming is introduced but not fully contrasted with the loss of species in a sophisticated way. To reach a higher band, you should ensure your opinion is clearly stated in the introduction and consistently supported throughout the body paragraphs with more nuanced analysis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. For example, the frequent use of 'for example' and 'that means' makes the flow feel a bit simplistic. There is a need for a wider variety of linking words and transition phrases to connect ideas more fluidly. Additionally, some sentences are disjointed, and the referencing (e.g., 'that mean every organism') could be improved to ensure smoother transitions between sentences.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'big problems' and 'killed'. There are also some noticeable errors in word form and collocation, such as 'to some extends' (should be 'to some extent') and 'every specie' (should be 'every species'). While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of variety and the presence of these errors limit the score. Incorporating more academic collocations and precise terminology would significantly improve your lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'every specie have'), article usage (e.g., 'without honeybee'), and pluralization (e.g., 'herbivores animals'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are persistent throughout the text. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, specifically ensuring that subjects and verbs agree and that articles are used correctly with singular and plural nouns.

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

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