Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-17

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)

Many individuals argue that the main environmental problem is the extinction of the particular species of plants and animals. One counterargument is that the environmental problems are more challenging. This essay will discuss both viewpoints before presenting my own opinion.

On the on hand, loss of the particular species of the animals and plants can affect biodiversity. It is a main problem. Distinction of plants and animal species can create imbalance in the nature and entire ecosystem will be disturbed. Furthermore, entire food chain will be disrupt. For example, the decline number of bees due to pesticides has reduced the cross pollination of the plants. Additionally, human activities like deforestation have negative impacts on environment.

On the other hand, some individuals believe that climate problems are more significant. Due to modern lifestyle and technology developments, many issues have raised such as global warming, air and water pollution and climate change. These issues often have impact on the nature. For instance, rising temperature level can create extreme weather condition for both individuals and other species like plants and animals. Moreover, polluted air and water can reduce the quality of life for the population.

Although, loss of various species of plants and animals have serious threat on the biodiversity. The main problem is pollution which reduces quality of life for animals, plants and individuals. These issues should be addressed to improve biodiversity and human life.

To conclude, although loss of particular species is a significant environment issue. I believe the more serious threat for environment is climate change due to rising pollutions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views on whether species loss is the primary environmental concern or if other problems are more significant, and concludes with a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant and supported with explanations and examples, such as mentioning bees and pesticides, and global warming. However, some arguments tend to be slightly repetitive and under-developed, falling short of the depth required for higher bands. For instance, the conclusion repeats points rather than synthesising them. Overall, the task response is satisfactory and covers all prompt requirements adequately, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptor.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is generally coherent with a recognizable overall progression. The writing is organized into distinct paragraphs, following a standard introduction, body, and conclusion structure. However, there are noticeable cohesion issues. For example, there is a spelling and phrasing error in a transitional marker ("On the on hand") and awkward sentence linking, such as starting the fourth paragraph with a fragment ("Although, loss of various species..."). Cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or overused, and referencing is occasionally unclear. Paragraphing is present, but internal logical transitions could be smoother and more accurately managed to reach a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The lexical resource is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate basic points about biodiversity and pollution. There are attempts at less common vocabulary such as "biodiversity," "ecosystem," "deforestation," and "global warming." However, there are also numerous lexical errors and unnatural word choices throughout the text, including "Distinction of plants" instead of "Extinction," "decline number" instead of "declining number," and "climate problems" instead of "climate change." Spelling and word formation inaccuracies occur, such as "distrupt" instead of "disrupted." These errors do not completely impede communication, placing the response firmly at Band 5.5 to 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over basic structures. Examples include conditional and subordinate clauses like "Although, loss of various species... have serious threat." However, grammatical accuracy is weak, with frequent errors in subject-verb agreement (e.g., "loss... have serious threat" and "issues has raised"), missing articles, and punctuation mistakes (such as placing a full stop before concluding a concessive clause). While these errors rarely completely impede understanding, their frequency across complex structures prevents the essay from achieving a Band 6.5. Control over grammar is consistent with a Band 6.0.

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