Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-31
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)
A segment of society argue that the primary environmental problems in today's era is because of extinction of some certain species of plants and animals. Others counter that more vital environmental problems exist. This essay will discuss both viewpoints before giving my own estimation.
On the one hand, people believe that environmental issues are rising rapidly because of some certain species of plants and animals have been extricated. Which are causing problems because the food chain has been impacted, as the result, some animals are not able to consume their designed food. For example, few months ago, a complete study was published by a very well-known department of UN called " Department of Environmental Safety", in which they described how loss of some particular species can cause disruption in food chain, which ultimately effects environment.
On the other hand, the rest of the community think that apart from extinction there are more important environmental complications such as pollution and exploitation of the earth for resources. To begin with the most discussed and debated factor which is pollution and it has been effecting the environment since the industrial revolution and has poisoned the water and heavily damaged ozone layer. Moving further, the another big problem is exploitation of the earth to mine essential materials, even though the materials are vital for human progress but it still impacts the environment and leaving earth hollow.
In conclusion, after briefly and thoroughly examining both extinction and other environmental issues. I firmly feel that pollution and exploitation are more important to be considered.
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 both viewpoints and provides a clear personal opinion in the conclusion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. The argument regarding the food chain is a good start, but it lacks specific, illustrative detail beyond a vague reference to a UN study. Similarly, the points on pollution and resource exploitation are relevant but remain at a surface level. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your arguments with more concrete examples or deeper analysis of the consequences of these environmental issues. The position is clear, but the supporting evidence needs more depth to fully satisfy the requirements of the prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'On the one hand' and 'In conclusion', which help the reader follow the argument. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or awkward, such as 'To begin with the most discussed and debated factor which is pollution and it has been effecting'. Additionally, the use of referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the sentence starting with 'Which are causing problems'. Improving the variety and natural flow of your linking words will help create a more cohesive piece of writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your ideas, including terms like 'extinction', 'exploitation', and 'industrial revolution'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'extricated' (which is incorrect in this context; 'extinct' or 'wiped out' would be better) and 'designed food'. There is also a recurring error with 'effecting' instead of 'affecting'. While your vocabulary is adequate for the task, you need to focus on using words more accurately and developing a wider range of academic collocations to move into the higher bands.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. For example, 'A segment of society argue' (subject-verb agreement error) and 'the another big problem' (incorrect article usage). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some sentence fragments, such as 'Which are causing problems because the food chain has been impacted, as the result, some animals are not able to consume their designed food.' Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles will significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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