Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-08

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 6.0)

Environmental issues have become a great a concern in the 21st century. Some people believe that extinction of plants and animals have a great impact on environment, while other argues that climate change such as air or water pollution is a greater threat to human health. In my opinion, although extinction of biodiversity is important, but on the other hand climate change like emissions of gases are more important due to present crisis.

Some people think loss of biodiversity is more important due to some reasons. For instance, the decline of bees has a great impact on the crop pollination in many countries, which directly impacts the food production. Every plants and animals have great role in our ecosystem, when one plant or animals loses, it affects the whole food chain. Furthermore, some medicines derived from some plants such as the medicine of heart disease (Digitalis) obtained from the (Foxglove) plant. If we lose some important plants species, we may also lose potential cures for diseases.

While on the other hand, some people argue that major environmental problems due to various fuels that are emitted by factories and engines are more important. Air and Water pollution causes dangerous diseases like Skin cancer and Asthma. Gases emissions due to greenhouse effect and global warming is leading to rise droughts, extreme weather conditions and rising to sea levels. For example, smog in cities like Lahore and Karachi difficult for people to breathe in every winter.

To conclude, while loss of biodiversity is a serious concern, I believe climate change like greenhouses gases are a major problem. Government should be highlights both the situation and take serious step to overcome those problems. Recently, acid rain is a major issue due to the air pollution and causes breathing problem and skin cancer.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, such as the role of bees in pollination and the impact of greenhouse gases. However, the development is somewhat uneven. While the points regarding biodiversity are supported with specific examples like 'Digitalis', the discussion on climate change is slightly more general. The position is clear throughout, but the conclusion introduces a new point about acid rain, which is not ideal for a summary. To reach a higher band, ensure that all arguments are fully extended and that the conclusion focuses on synthesising the main points rather than introducing new information.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organised into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'For instance', 'Furthermore', and 'While on the other hand', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or repetitive. The referencing is generally clear, though there are minor issues with sentence-level flow, such as the awkward phrasing in the introduction: 'although extinction of biodiversity is important, but on the other hand'. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the overall cohesion of the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to express ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'biodiversity', 'pollination', 'ecosystem', and 'greenhouse effect'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'extinction of plants and animals have a great impact' (should be 'has') and 'Government should be highlights' (should be 'should highlight'). The range is sufficient for the task, but more precise and sophisticated vocabulary would be needed to reach a higher band. The student relies on some basic descriptors like 'great' and 'important' multiple times.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that persist throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('Every plants and animals have', 'other argues'), article usage ('the medicine of heart disease'), and awkward sentence construction ('rising to sea levels'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the control over complex structures is inconsistent. To improve, the student should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles, as these errors occur frequently enough to occasionally distract the reader.

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