Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-15

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)

There are differences in people's belief about environmental problems. While a group of people think that loosing particular species of plants and animals is the biggest problem, the others think that there are more severe problems regarding environment.

Some people believe that loosing some specific species of plants and animals is the most dire problem of our environment, because they think that all these species help to keep the balance of the environment. According to this group of people, disappearance of these species are harming the harmony of the world, food chain is getting disrupted. The people who believe that extinction of these specific animals and plants is the main problem of the environment, argue that the energy balance gets disrupted from the disappearance of these species. I think their idea is somewhat true, but they are not thinking about the greater picture here.

Aside from the loss of some plant and animal species, which is also the side effect of other environmental problems, there are a lot of problems affecting the balance of the environment. Global warming, deforestation, clean water crisis and environmental pollution are some of the biggest environmental problems that are destroying our environment. All these problems bring consequences and it is like a chain reaction. Deforestation is helping to rise the temperature of the world, which is termed as global warming. Global warming melting the ice caps and resulting in rising of water level, which finally creates the safe water crisis. All these stated problems together with other different problems are causing the unnatural disappearance of some plants and animals from our environment.

In the end, only the extinction of some species is not the biggest problem that is harming our beautiful environment, the main problems that are causing these disappearances are the main crisis.

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 superficial. While you mention that species loss is a 'side effect' of other problems, you could have strengthened your argument by providing more specific examples of how these issues intersect. The conclusion is a bit repetitive and does not fully synthesize the points made in the body paragraphs. To reach a higher band, ensure that your supporting arguments are more thoroughly explored rather than just listed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Aside from' and 'In the end', to link your thoughts. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. For instance, the transition between the discussion of species loss and the broader environmental issues could be more sophisticated. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate, and the central topic of each paragraph is clear.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'disrupted', 'extinction', and 'consequences'. However, there are some persistent errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'loosing' (should be 'losing') and 'safe water crisis' (should be 'clean water crisis'). Additionally, the repetition of 'environmental problems' and 'disappearance' limits your score. To improve, try to use more precise synonyms and collocations to express your ideas with greater variety and accuracy.

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, such as 'disappearance of these species are harming' (subject-verb agreement error) and 'helping to rise the temperature' (should be 'helping to raise'). There are also issues with article usage and phrasing, such as 'the others think' instead of 'others think'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score.

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