Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-21

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 6.0)

Our environment is home to the vast majority of plants and animals. There are those who believe that the cause of environmental problems is because of the extinction of the former, while others believe that this is not the case and there are other reasons why environmental issues are occuring.

On one hand, there are differents kinds of creatures living in various environments. Each day there are thousand of them that roam around in search of food and shelter. Most survive, but others do not, this is mainly because of the life-cycle in which we know. For example, snakes are considered to be a well-known predator and it most likely prey on small animals. Similarly, plants also have its benefits in our environment, especially the oxygen that it releases. Nowadays, people tend to destroy the natural habitat of these and turn it into a space for infrastractures, which eliminates the presence of them

On the other hand, it does not always have to be the vanished plants and animals as some would believe that there are far more crucial problems than that of the former. For instance, man-made buildings are one of the causes that people look into, with the fast development and the expansion of big companies, there is no doubt that it would cause a serious problem to the environment. Another example are the forest fires occuring in some parts of the world. It is a phenomena in which we can not avoid as it is a common issue nowadays due to the heat that the sun produces.

In conlusion, while people announce that the absence of specific plants and animals are the main cause of environmental issues and some would say that there are far more effective problems, I do believe that there are various problems that causes issues in the environment and the world needs to address it as soon as possible.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both sides of the argument, but the development is somewhat superficial. While you mention the loss of species and other environmental issues like infrastructure and forest fires, the connection between these points and the prompt's core debate—whether species loss is the 'main' problem—is not fully explored. Your own opinion is stated in the conclusion, but it lacks specific justification or depth. To reach a higher band, ensure that each body paragraph directly evaluates the significance of the problems mentioned rather than just listing them. The ideas are relevant but remain at a general level, lacking the depth required for a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use basic cohesive devices like 'On one hand' and 'On the other hand' to signal shifts in the argument. However, the internal flow within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition between the discussion of snakes and the impact of infrastructure is abrupt. Additionally, some referencing is unclear, such as the use of 'the former' and 'the latter' which occasionally feels forced or imprecise. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'extinction', 'natural habitat', and 'infrastructure'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and minor errors, such as 'effective problems' (which does not make sense in this context) and 'a phenomena' (which should be 'a phenomenon'). The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. To improve, focus on using collocations more accurately and expanding your range of academic vocabulary to express complex ideas more clearly.

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 several grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('plants also have its benefits', 'there are various problems that causes issues') and punctuation errors, such as comma splices ('Most survive, but others do not, this is mainly because...'). These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding your main points. Increasing your control over complex sentence structures and proofreading for basic agreement errors will help improve your score.

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