Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-02

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 6.5)

Environmental concerns have become increasingly widespread. It is often argued that the major environmental loss is the extinction of many plants and animals, while others argue that other important factors are widely disrupted. In this essay I will explain both views and my opinion as well.

On the one hand, not only are the plants and animals quite beneficial for natural habitat but also play a key role in the food chain. They are extremely important as plants are the main source of oxygen, while animals and insects are responsible for returning nutrients back into the soil. Hunting, human intervention and several developmental programs are responsible for the disappearance of particular species. For example, in Pakistan the markhor is about to extinct due to hunting, though governments are enforcing several environmental protection laws to protect endangered species.

The major alarming environmental problems are rising due to pollution coming from vehicle emissions, disposal of waste into rivers and lakes by factories, and chlorofluorocarbons emissions. This lead to several consequences including severe respiratory and gut diseases in humans while breathing and consuming water from contaminated rivers, respectively, and are detrimental for animals and plants' habitat as well.

In my opinion, although both animals and plants' habitat and human health losses are detrimental, I believe environmental pollution directly affects the human health, while the extinction of particular species does not portray immediate after effects but it would be alarmed in the long run.

In conclusion, although habitat loss is the serious concern, it can be prevented by strict environmental regulation on hunting and human intervention. I believe pollution is the major problem facing by today's world, which automatically leads to extinction of species.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, such as the role of biodiversity in the food chain and the impact of pollution on human health. However, the development is somewhat uneven. The discussion on species extinction is well-supported with an example, but the section on pollution is more descriptive than analytical. The conclusion attempts to link the two issues by suggesting pollution causes extinction, which is a good synthesis, but the overall depth of the argument could be improved by exploring the 'why' behind the prioritization of these problems more thoroughly. The position is consistent throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the one hand', 'For example', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or repetitive. For instance, the link between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother to better contrast the two viewpoints. Referencing is generally clear, though the flow between sentences within the third paragraph is slightly disjointed due to the list-like structure of the environmental problems mentioned. Overall, the progression of ideas is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally appropriate for the task, with some good topic-specific terms like 'biodiversity', 'human intervention', 'chlorofluorocarbons', and 'detrimental'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'it would be alarmed' instead of 'it would be alarming' and 'major alarming environmental problems' which is slightly redundant. The range is sufficient to convey ideas clearly, but there is limited use of less common lexical items or idiomatic collocations that would push the score into the higher bands. The vocabulary is functional and accurate enough to avoid confusion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'the markhor is about to extinct' (should be 'extinct' as an adjective or 'go extinct'), 'This lead to' (subject-verb agreement error), and 'problem facing by today's world' (incorrect passive construction). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. The use of complex structures like 'not only... but also' is a positive feature, but the frequency of minor errors prevents a higher score. Punctuation is generally handled well throughout the text.

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