Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-12

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)

As far as envirnemental problem is concerned, there exists two perspectives which have been in the academic debate over the years. One group of academcians argue that the main isssue is pertaining to the extinction of some plants and animal species on our planet. They tend to believe that the disappearing of precious plants and animals endangers the existence of life not only for human beings but also for other animals. For instance, defroestation has caused urban flooding and droughts in parts of the world. It has led to both human and economic cost. Further, it has disturbed the water cycle, neccessary for prification of the rain water in the atmosphere. Due to acid rain, the fresh water has become poisoned becoming a reason for killing of milions of species in the sea.

However, there is a second group of people who are of the view that there are other more imoprtant environmental issues. For instance, bad governance is one of the leading cause of creating environmental problems. Governments accross the world are not serious in taking environmental crisis as their primary objective to be resolved. Furthermore, there is lack of education and awareness among people regarding environmetnal probelms. In this regard, over-population is one of the main reasons responsible for environmental problems. Besides this, technological advancement, urbanization, and unregulated extraction of natural resources are also playing key role in creating environmental problems.

The practical example I would like to mention here is that I have seen both the eradication of agricultural land for urbanization and severe climate crisis in my country for the last five years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—that species loss is the primary environmental concern versus the view that other issues are more significant—and provides a personal opinion, albeit briefly at the end. The first viewpoint is supported by arguments regarding biodiversity and the water cycle, while the second perspective highlights governance, over-population, and technological advancement. However, the conclusion and personal opinion are underdeveloped, appearing as a short standalone paragraph without deep integration or extension. Ideas are generally relevant, but the lack of a fully articulated personal stance throughout the body paragraphs prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, satisfying the core requirements with clear main ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with clear divisions between the introduction, the two opposing viewpoints, and the final concluding sentence. Transitional phrases such as 'One group of academcians argue', 'However, there is a second group of people', and 'Furthermore' are used to guide the reader through the arguments. Paragraphing is generally appropriate, though the final paragraph is overly brief and abrupt. While referencing and basic cohesive devices work well, some mechanical transitions and occasional awkward linkages detract from total fluidity. Logical progression is maintained throughout the central paragraphs, ensuring the reader can easily follow the comparison between the two differing viewpoints.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student attempts a range of vocabulary suitable for an academic discussion, including terms like 'academicians', 'extinction', 'governance', and 'unregulated extraction'. However, there are numerous spelling and word-choice errors throughout the text, such as 'envirnemental', 'isssue', 'disappearing' (instead of disappearance), 'defroestation', 'neccessary', 'prification', 'milions', 'imoprtant', 'cause' (instead of causes), and 'accross'. Although these errors are frequent, they do not severely impede communication because the context remains understandable. The lexical range is adequate for the task, but inaccuracy prevents the response from achieving a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures like relative clauses ('which have been in the academic debate') and conditional or causal links ('Due to acid rain, the fresh water has become poisoned becoming a reason for...'). However, grammatical accuracy is weak, with several persistent errors. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues like 'there exists two perspectives' (instead of 'exist'), spelling-induced morphological errors, and occasional awkward phrasing such as 'becoming a reason for killing of milions'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while errors are frequent, they rarely impede overall comprehension, allowing the reader to follow the intended arguments without excessive strain.

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