Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-03
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)
Our generation has grown up with environmental hazards by our side. The main issue with this is not the hazards themselves it is our ignorance towards it. We have kept its measures and preventions limited to our books and when it comes to taking an initiative suddenly "It is the duty of government”.
On one hand people say that the main environmental problem of out time is loss of particular species. Every species to ever born had its own significance and contribution. However, humans had always gone out of their ways to destroy nature for their own fulfilment. This can be further explained by an example, for example the tigers even though they are not completely extinct but their concentration have decreased drastically over the time. As a result, we see imbalanced food chain. The number of herbivores increased overtime that led to less number of plants remaining for human consumption.
To challenge the perspective, the loss of particular species have an indirect effect on our lives. On the contrary, environmental issues like deforestation, excessive mining of minerals, etc. Directly impact our lives. For examples, countries like United Arab Emirates or Iran are worldwide known for their crude oil reserves which is taken out through mining. Weather there is generally hot and have high temperatures which is a result of decreasing groundwater levels because as the groundwater level decreases the process of evaporation becomes hard. Therefore, natural rain becomes next to impossible leading to hot climatic conditions.
In my opinion, as the animals and species that are extinct can never come back. We should focus more on protecting the Earth we have in the moment. We should limit the amount of reserve extraction and also ban people from killing animals. Promotion of Electric vehicles over gas vehicles would result into less emission harmful air pollutants.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both views and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. The argument regarding the loss of species is supported by the example of tigers, but the explanation of the food chain is slightly simplistic. The counter-argument regarding environmental issues like mining is relevant, but the link between groundwater levels and evaporation in the UAE is scientifically unclear and distracts from the main point. To reach a higher band, ensure that examples are logically sound and directly support the central argument. The position is consistent throughout, but the depth of analysis could be improved by focusing more on the global implications of these environmental challenges.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. There is a logical progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On one hand', 'However', and 'Therefore', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. Referencing is generally clear, but there are instances where the flow between sentences is slightly abrupt, particularly in the second paragraph. The use of paragraphing is appropriate for the task, and the overall structure helps the reader follow the argument without significant difficulty.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'environmental hazards', 'drastically', and 'fulfilment', which are used correctly. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'concentration have decreased' (should be 'populations have declined') and 'process of evaporation becomes hard' (should be 'difficult'). The range is sufficient to convey the intended meaning, but more precise academic terminology would elevate the response to a higher band.
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 subject-verb agreement issues ('every species... had', 'loss of particular species have') and punctuation errors (e.g., missing commas in complex sentences). Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'Weather there is generally hot and have high temperatures'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. A greater focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy would be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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