Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-16

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 6.5)

There is no doubt that environmental issues have become major global concern. While some people argue that the extinction of wildlife is a major environmental problem, others believe that climate change and air pollution are more pressing. This essay will discuss both views before concluding that biodiversity loss is important, but not the most critical concern.

On the one hand the loss of species is a significant environmental problem. Both plants and animals play an important role in ecosystem. The loss of any specie will result in chain reactions. For instance, the decline of bees directly affects the plants pollination and hence become a threat to food security. Similarly, most of the modern medicines are derived from plants, the extinction of any plant will result in the loss of potential benefit forever. Therefore, protection of species is essential for ecological balance and future human development.

On the other hand there are other environmental problems that have immediate and widespread impacts on humanity. For example, global warming driven by greenhouse gas emissions is arguably the major concern. It leads to rising sea levels that results in floods, heatwaves and increase in temperature of earth that threatens the livelihoods of many individuals. Similarly, air and water pollution also affect human health. Concerned to those issues, the loss of a specie, although sad but less critical environmental issue to public.

In my opinion, while the extinction of species is a tragic consequence of environmental damage, I agree that climate change and pollution are more important problems.

To conclude, although the loss of flora and fauna is a serious concern that deserves attention, I believe that climate change, air pollution, and plastic waste pose a greater threat to both humans and the planet and should be given higher priority by governments worldwide.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task well. The introduction clearly states both views and presents a distinct position that biodiversity loss is important but secondary to climate change. Each body paragraph explores one side of the argument effectively with relevant examples, such as bees and plant pollination for the first view, and global warming and pollution for the second view. The ideas are well-developed and supported, leading to a coherent and logical argument throughout the essay. The final conclusion neatly reiterates the writer's stance while summing up the main points. This performance aligns comfortably with the Band 7 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information and ideas are structured logically, with distinct paragraphing serving each stage of the argument. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'For instance', and 'Similarly' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the text, although occasionally transitioning could be slightly smoother. Referencing is generally clear, and the overall progression from introduction to body paragraphs and finally to a concise conclusion is maintained effectively. This warrants a solid Band 7 for coherence and cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary with some flexibility and precision. Terms like 'biodiversity loss', 'ecosystem', 'greenhouse gas emissions', and 'ecological balance' demonstrate a good handle on topic-specific language. However, there are minor lexical inaccuracies, such as writing 'any specie' instead of 'any species' (specie refers to coined money), and awkward phrasing like 'Concerned to those issues'. Despite these occasional slips, the vocabulary used is adequate to convey precise meanings and attempts less common items with acceptable control, earning a Band 6.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several successful complex forms, such as 'While some people argue that the extinction of wildlife is a major environmental problem, others believe that climate change and air pollution are more pressing.' However, minor grammatical errors occur throughout, including missing pluralization ('plants pollination' instead of 'plant pollination'), article misuse ('increase in temperature of earth'), and minor prepositional errors. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the text from reaching a higher band. A score of 6.0 reflects this control.

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