Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

In recent years, environmental issues has become highly debatable. In that way, some individuals opine that disappearance of particular plants species and animal is the main issue. While, others argue that there are some other environmental problems which are more important. This essay will discuss both perspectives before presenting my opinion.

To begin with, all the plant and the animals plays vital role to in the environment. As the plants and animals are depended on each other, it help to maintain the food chain. The loss of any plant or animal species can easily disbalance the food chain. Moreover, many animal species holds the cultural identity such as Asiatic lions. Which can only found in the Gir forest. That is why, for Indian people, it is an animal on which they can feel proud.

On the other hand, there are plenty of other problems which are more important to get focused. Firstly, the issue of global warming. The growing use of transportation, gases like nitrogen oxide increases. As a result, the heat get trapped between soil and cloud which creates many other problems such as, uneven rain, reduction in water levels. Due to this newly emerged problems, many people are dying. To illustrates, the flooding in Nepal is the latest and the best example of it.

In conclusion, both of the problems are equally concerning. However, the issue of global warming is killing people in a large quantity. That is why, I believe that, both problems need to be focused but the problems which is harming individuals should be tackled on war footing.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion in the conclusion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the discussion on biodiversity is brief, and the argument for global warming relies on a single example (flooding in Nepal) without fully exploring the broader environmental implications. While the prompt is addressed, the ideas could be extended further to reach a higher band. The position is consistent, but the depth of analysis is more characteristic of a Band 6.0 response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To begin with', 'Moreover', and 'On the other hand'. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or awkward, such as 'In that way' in the introduction, which does not fit the context. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the sentence fragment 'Which can only found in the Gir forest', which lacks a proper connection to the previous sentence. Overall, the progression of ideas is coherent, but the use of cohesive devices lacks the flexibility required for a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'disbalance' (which is non-standard) and 'war footing'. Some word choices are imprecise, such as 'disappearance of particular plants species' (should be 'plant species') and 'in a large quantity' (should be 'on a large scale'). While the meaning is clear, the range is limited, and there are noticeable errors in collocation and word formation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('all the plant and the animals plays'), article misuse ('the Gir forest'), and incorrect verb forms ('are depended on', 'can only found'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with sentence fragments. While the student attempts complex structures, the frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents a higher score.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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