Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-22

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 5.0)

Whether people should accept bad circumstances or work to improve them is debatable. I strongly believe it is necessary for people to generally try to improve their situation.

Certain individuals find comfort in letting go of situations they feel are beyond their control, such as a shortage of money and mediocre jobs. The main reason for this development is the feeling of low self-esteem or lack of motivation. Most people are too relaxed to go beyond their means to achieve greater heights. This means they find it hard for them to come out of their shells and try harder so as to improve their situation. For instance, some nurses choose to be bedside nurses for their whole life because they feel limited or lack the will to venture into other fields where they are appreciated enough, even though they are underpaid and are overworked. The knock-on effect is that they live in working environments where they are underappreciated and inadequately compensated for their work.

Taking charge of one's situation in order to improve it is the best call. Some people often make efforts to come out of difficult situations by any means. Nowadays, people go so far as to work part-time jobs and take out loans in order for them to balance the money shortage. In addition, improving their situation gives people peace of mind. For instance, people who have worked under harsh conditions where they are not satisfied or underpaid tend to leave and find environments that are more favourable to them in both monetary and appreciation terms. The advantage is a healthy, productive mindset. Therefore, bad situations should serve as a challenge rather than a trap.

In summation, although accepting situations may be necessary, I strongly believe that people should try to improve their circumstances whenever possible.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The student has written an essay that completely misses the prompt's core topic. The prompt specifically asks to discuss views on whether the loss of particular species of plants and animals is the main environmental problem compared to other environmental issues, and to give a personal opinion. However, the student's entire response discusses a completely different topic: whether people should accept bad circumstances or work to improve them. Because the response is entirely off-topic regarding the specific task prompt, it fails to address the required subject matter. According to the band descriptors, an off-topic response cannot achieve a passing grade for Task Achievement, resulting in a band score of 4.0 for this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

Despite being off-topic, the student demonstrates a clear ability to structure an essay logically. The response is divided into distinct paragraphs with an introduction, body paragraphs supporting different viewpoints, and a concluding summary. Cohesive devices are used adequately to connect ideas, such as 'For instance', 'In addition', and 'Therefore'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately to separate distinct points. However, referencing and progression are occasionally hindered by the disjointed connection between the ideas presented and the actual task requirements. Overall, the structural organization reflects a Band 6 level of coherence and cohesion, as the text maintains a coherent overall arrangement.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common words and phrases such as 'mediocre jobs', 'knock-on effect', 'inadequately compensated', and 'peace of mind'. While there are occasional inaccuracies in word choice and collocation—such as 'balance the money shortage' instead of 'offset financial shortages'—these errors do not impede communication. The vocabulary allows the writer to convey their arguments clearly, fitting the Band 6 descriptor where an adequate range is displayed alongside some minor lexical inaccuracies and appropriate spelling control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay displays a satisfactory mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures like relative clauses ('people who have worked under harsh conditions') and conditional or participial clauses effectively. There are some minor errors in grammar and punctuation, such as 'for their whole life' instead of 'for their whole lives', but these errors are infrequent and rarely impede communication. The control of grammar is generally good throughout the response, meeting the descriptors for Band 6, which recognizes a mix of simple and complex sentence structures alongside some non-impeding grammatical errors.

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

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