Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-24

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)

Many say that loss of specific plants and animals species have caused devastating consequences on our ecosystem. Meanwhile, others argue that environmental problems are caused by other factors that should be considered. I believe that major cause of environmental problems are air pollution and traffic congestion.

On the one hand, particular plants and animal species are maintaining Earth's ecosystem and their loss is impacting the quality of air and declining life cycle. The primary reason for that is excessive deforestation and hunting for wild animals have lead to dimished production of fresh air and disturbance in the food chain. As a consequence, lack of oxygen and extinction of animals lead to poor preservation of life on the Earth. For example, nowadays man are clearing lands to build more houses resulting in increase carbon-dioxide emission which may cause poisoning in our environment. Although it leads to habitat destruction and loss of biodiversity, I believe that excessive use of vehicles are causing global warming which is the major environmental destructing factor.

On the other hand, surge in vehicle production and excessive usage of motor-cars have caused air pollution and traffic congestion. This is because excessive carbon footprint and other harmful gasses released from these motor vehicles and factories are polluting the air and ultimately resulting in global warming. Consequently destructing our atmosphere and causing debilatating human diseases. For instance, ozone layer that protects the Earth's atmosphere from harmful rays of sun is now depleting due to global warming, which is destructing our environment and causing cancer in human species. I believe this school of thought is more preferable as these problems are quite alarming and have devastating consequences on our planet Earth.

In conclusion, specific species of plants and animals are important for biodiversity and their loss can show negative impact on our ecosystem; however, I believe that ongoing pollution and subsequent production of harmful gases are adversely affecting the environment and our health.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views—the loss of specific species versus other major environmental problems like air pollution and traffic congestion—and provides a clear personal opinion throughout. The ideas are generally extended, such as discussing deforestation and vehicle emissions. However, there is some overlap and repetition in the arguments, as the writer shifts their stance slightly or re-introduces vehicle pollution in both body paragraphs. For instance, the first body paragraph ends by stating that excessive vehicle use is the major factor, which slightly blurs the distinction between the two perspectives. To reach a higher band, the main bodies should maintain a sharper contrast between the loss of biodiversity and other environmental issues before introducing the writer's final judgment. Nonetheless, the task is adequately addressed, and the position is clear, fitting well within the Band 6 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay is arranged into logical paragraphs with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used to signal shifts in perspective, such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand'. However, referencing and cohesion can be faulty or mechanical in places. For example, sentences like 'This is because excessive carbon footprint and other harmful gasses released from these motor vehicles and factories are polluting the air...' contain referencing issues because 'this' refers back loosely to a previous idea. Additionally, paragraph transitions feel somewhat abrupt, and the internal progression within the body paragraphs occasionally wanders. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas, but the overall coherence is affected by repetitive argumentation and mechanical phrasing, aligning with the Band 6 descriptor.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student attempts a range of vocabulary suitable for an academic essay, using terms like 'devastating consequences', 'ecosystem', 'deforestation', and 'global warming'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward word choices throughout the text. For example, 'species have caused' instead of 'species has caused', 'dimished production' (spelling error), 'debilatating human diseases' (spelling and collocation error), and 'human species' instead of 'humans' or 'humanity'. There are also minor awkward phrases like 'environmental destructing factor'. While the vocabulary range is adequate to communicate the main points, these frequent errors in word choice and spelling place this essay firmly at Band 6, where vocabulary is sufficient for the task but contains noticeable inaccuracies.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and subordinate structures such as 'Although it leads to habitat destruction...' and '...which is destructing our environment...'. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several noticeable errors, such as subject-verb agreement ('loss of specific plants and animals species have caused'), tense and particle errors ('have lead to'), and repetitive participle phrases ('which is destructing... which is destructing...'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but comma splices and awkward phrasing occasionally disrupt the flow. Although these errors do not seriously impede communication, their frequency prevents the essay from achieving a Band 7, making Band 6 an accurate reflection of the writer's control over grammar.

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