Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-22
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 believe that the extinction of some specific plants and animals is the most crucial environmental issue while others think that there are other major problems as well. We will discuss both of the views before I explain my own opinion that why do I think there are other issues that are more important.
Firstly, people who beleive that the particular breeds of animals and plants that are lost or near extinction is the major envirenmental concern got a valid point of interest as plants and animals play a huge role in the normal functioning of our habitat. There are certain plants that are used for various medicines and are very beneficial for human beings. Some plants are naturally designed to clean the air of our atmosphere. Similarly, animals do have there own place in the environment. That's why there are different organisations working to save the species that are near extinction such as african rhinos who were killed by the hunters because of their precious horns. Only a few hundreds were left but there population has increased significantly during the last few years just because of the efforts of animal saving organisations.
On the other hand, there are some more crucial issues that are needed to be adressed properly in order to save our enviroment from the threats. The increasing air pollution due to burning of our car engines is one of the most alarming threats. These harmful gasses are continuously destroying the ozone layer and causing a lot of difficulties to human health in general. Air quality index is significantly touching the dangerous levels in some busy areas of the world.
Overall, I beleive both of the aspects have their specific importance but the most crucial ones are the factors other than extinction of plants and animals as we need to control our pollution first in order to keep our coming generations safe from various health hazards.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, such as the mention of medicinal plants and air pollution. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding air pollution is quite brief and could have been expanded with more specific examples or consequences to reach a higher band. The position is consistent throughout, but the depth of analysis is more characteristic of a Band 6.0, as it touches upon the points without fully exploring the implications or providing a more nuanced comparison between the two environmental threats.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central topic. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Firstly', 'On the other hand', and 'Similarly', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as in the phrase 'both of the aspects have their specific importance'. The progression of ideas is logical, but the flow between sentences could be smoother. The use of paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure is coherent, meeting the requirements for a Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'alarming threats' and 'significantly touching', though some word choices are slightly unnatural or imprecise (e.g., 'valid point of interest' instead of 'valid point'). Spelling errors are present, such as 'beleive', 'envirenmental', and 'there' instead of 'their'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the score. A wider range of precise, academic vocabulary would be required to move into the Band 7.0 range.
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 'there population has increased' (should be 'their'), 'issues that are needed to be adressed' (should be 'need to be addressed'), and 'why do I think' (should be 'why I think'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the frequency of these minor errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. The writer demonstrates an ability to construct complex sentences, but the control over these structures is inconsistent.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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