Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-23

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)

In today's modern world everyone is busy in their life. Due to shortage of time some of the ancient species such as plants and animal are becoming rare some argue while, other says that there are many other crucial environment concerns. I will discuss both views along with my opinion in the upcoming paragraphs.

To initiate, everyone nowadays are busy and have no time to spend outside in nature. Technology has changed the way how people used to live in past. Usually, a person work 9-4 and then do another part-time job to manage his expense in that way he do not have time left in his whole day to look after what is happening in his surrounding. For instance, If people spend time with nature they will know which species are extinct already, which are endangered and what he can do to protect those.

On the flip side, there are some major environmental issues which need to be addressed. Air pollution, soil degradation, water pollution and noise pollution. If these issues are not taken seriously it will negatively effect our future generation. If the quality of air continues to be bad how can our next generation survive. Same with the noise pollution if it is going it will hinder the psychological growth of our children.

To conclude, without a doubt, there are several other issues that need immediate attention for future survival on this planet. All these problems will not affecting the environment but, human lives are also in danger if things keep going same way. One day there will be no drinkable water, no breathable air and no place to live.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both views, but the development is uneven. The first body paragraph focuses on the lack of time people have to observe nature, which is only tangentially related to the loss of species. The second body paragraph lists other environmental issues but lacks specific examples or a deep discussion of why these might be 'more important' than species loss. While a position is stated in the introduction, it is not clearly maintained or justified throughout the essay. The conclusion introduces new ideas rather than summarising the main points. To improve, ensure each paragraph directly addresses the prompt's core arguments with clear, logical support.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical flow between sentences is often disjointed. Transitions like 'To initiate' and 'On the flip side' are used, but the internal structure of the paragraphs is weak. For example, the transition from discussing busy lifestyles to species extinction in the first body paragraph is abrupt and lacks a clear logical link. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the progression of ideas is not always smooth. Using a wider range of cohesive devices and ensuring that each sentence builds logically on the previous one would improve the coherence of the writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There is some repetition of basic terms like 'environmental' and 'issues'. Some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'everyone is busy in their life' or 'manage his expense'. While the meaning is clear, the range is limited, and there is little attempt to use less common or more sophisticated lexical items. To improve, focus on learning topic-specific collocations and synonyms to avoid repetitive phrasing and to express ideas with greater nuance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('everyone nowadays are busy', 'other says'), incorrect verb forms ('will not affecting'), and punctuation errors. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring consistent verb tense usage throughout the essay. Proofreading for common slips would also help increase the accuracy of the writing.

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