Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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)

While many people argue that the chief environmental problem of contemporary time is the loss of natural habitats particularly species of plants and animals, others believe that there are other major environmental challenges. In my opinion, there are numerous causes of environmental degradation. This issue stems from differences in ecosystem adaptation, however climate change and agricultural escapes remains the deciding factors.

Proponents of the first view emphasize the significance of loss of the predators. Because, when top carnivores are removed from an ecosystem, herbivore populations explode, leading to extreme overgrazing. For instance, in areas of North America where wolves were hunted to extinction, deer populations ballooned. Overgrazing by deer eats tree saplings, stopping forests from regenerating and destroying habitats for migratory birds.

On the other hand, the argument for the other reasons of environmental loss is far more convincing. Advocates point to Rising temperatures enable plant pests, weeds, and invasive animals to thrive in regions where they previously could not survive winter freezes. Meanwhile, cultivated plants bred for rapid growth often escape farms or gardens, invading natural habitats and stripping the soil of nutrients which directly impact to soil erosion and deforestation. For example,if a vine plant grows aggressively up to 1 foot per day. It climbs over native trees and shrubs, blocking out sunlight completely and smothering millions of acres of forest. Although from my perspective, it may appear that animals or plants are "destroying" the environment, humans are almost always the underlying trigger. Environmental loss caused by flora and fauna is typically a symptom of human-induced disruption, whether through global trade, habitat destruction, or removing natural predators.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both views and provides a clear personal opinion. You successfully discuss the loss of species and contrast it with broader environmental issues like climate change and invasive species. The ideas are relevant and supported by specific examples, such as the wolves in North America and the impact of invasive vines. However, the development of your own opinion could be more explicit in the introduction and conclusion. While you mention that humans are the 'underlying trigger,' this point could be more thoroughly integrated into the main body paragraphs to strengthen the overall argument. Overall, the task is well-addressed with a logical progression of ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph has a central theme, and you use cohesive devices such as 'On the other hand,' 'For instance,' and 'Meanwhile' to guide the reader. However, there are some minor issues with sentence-level cohesion; for example, the sentence 'For example, if a vine plant grows aggressively up to 1 foot per day. It climbs over...' is fragmented, which disrupts the flow. Additionally, some transitions between ideas are slightly mechanical. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that sentences are correctly connected would elevate the coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, using terms like 'ecosystem adaptation,' 'environmental degradation,' 'migratory birds,' and 'smothering.' These choices are appropriate for the topic. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'agricultural escapes' (which is not a standard collocation) and 'impact to soil erosion' (should be 'impact on'). Despite these occasional errors, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly and with some precision. To reach a higher band, focus on using more sophisticated collocations and ensuring that less common words are used in the correct context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('climate change and agricultural escapes remains') and punctuation errors, particularly the sentence fragment starting with 'For example, if a vine plant...'. While these errors are noticeable, they do not significantly impede communication. You have attempted complex structures, which is positive, but you need to pay closer attention to verb forms and sentence boundaries. Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences will help improve your score in this criterion.

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