Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-09

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)

Many people argue that the main reason for our environmental problems is the loss of specific plant species and animals, while others argue otherwise. In my context, I believe there are other very risky issues affecting the survival of the entire ecosystem rather than a particular loss of animal and plant species. As for the specific loss, it could be true to some extent because when their species are lost, it affects their cycle of reproduction; their exotic species diminish, as far as making them disappear which could cause multidimensional consequences, such as a tourist and tourism crisis of the country and their entire income. As for the entire loss of plant species causing negative side effects in the production of herbal medicine and the entire medical system. When the species disappear, the people's ability to get well-made medicine also decreases as a result decreasing the capacity of new, advanced, and enough amount of medicine for many diseases. As a result, it is true that they could be highly negatively affected, but in my opinion, major issues like global warming and air pollution could be disastrous compared to the rest. For global warming its when the entire climate of the world gets affected by increasing deforestation, burning down of trees, gases emitted from industries and so much more. Which as a result ends up affecting the breathing cycle of people and animals the crop production affecting what animals and people eat. so it cou

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which negatively impacts the task achievement score. While you address both sides of the argument and provide a clear personal opinion, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. The discussion on biodiversity loss is repetitive, and the argument regarding global warming is cut off abruptly due to the incomplete nature of the text. To improve, ensure you fully develop each point with clear examples and maintain a consistent depth of analysis throughout. The abrupt ending prevents a full conclusion, which is a significant omission for a task of this nature.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay shows a basic attempt at logical organization, but the flow is hindered by the incomplete ending. You use some cohesive devices like 'As for' and 'As a result', but these are used repetitively and sometimes mechanically. Paragraphing is not effectively utilized; the entire response is presented as a single block of text, which makes it difficult for the reader to follow the transition between the two viewpoints and your own opinion. To improve, use clear paragraph breaks for the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion, and vary your linking words to create a smoother progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. You rely on somewhat simplistic phrasing, such as 'very risky issues' and 'well-made medicine'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'tourist and tourism crisis'. While your meaning is generally clear, you should aim to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to environmental science and global issues to demonstrate a wider range. Focus on using more precise academic terminology rather than repeating general terms like 'entire' or 'main'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. For example, 'their exotic species diminish, as far as making them disappear' is syntactically confusing. There are also issues with sentence fragments and run-on sentences, such as 'For global warming its when the entire climate...'. Punctuation is inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas and the incomplete final sentence. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement and correct usage of relative clauses.

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