Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Over recent years, environmental crises has become a hotly debated issue in this contemporary society. This matter is quite significant due to its several impacts on both individuals and communities. However, a few individuals believe that the basic environmental issue of this time is the reduction of essential species of plants and animals while other argues that there are numerous other problems. In this essay, I will present the reasons supporting my viewpoint and address potential counterarguements.

On the one hand, the main environmental problem of current time is the loss of crucial habitats of plants and wildlife. The reduction of plants and animals may have a detrimental impact on society as they both are beneficial for individuals providing them with oxygen, food and various neccessarily things such as a cloth that can be made from the skin of an animal. Some species of plants add beauty to the environment so if we would cut the plants, we would not be able to see stunning environment. To illustrate, majority of people are fond of greenery and spend much of their time staring at varoius kinds of flowers. Loss of greenery would result into more polluting environment and snatch people's attention towards facsinating scenery.

On the other hand, there are substantial number of other environmental crises such as pollution, climate change and floods etc. Many individuals consider that these crises play a vital role in damaging society as climate change can create harmful consequences. The unwanted waste on the roads can add significant pollution to the environment if people do not bother to recyle that waste or left them unseeing. Moreover, the contaminated water released from factories or big industries can cause severe damage on the health of the public. For instance, if the polluted water does not reach to the clouds to form water vapours and left unwanted on the roads, it will result into the uncleanliness of environment and social disturbance.

From my perspective, there are major environmental problems that are being casued by both loss of particular species of plants, wildlife, and climate changes. Floods can also cause serious disruption that may have negative consequences for both individuals and society. My opinion is clear and well founded supported by both evidence and reasoning.

In conclusion, it is concerning to handle such serious environmental crises, both government and public should play a vital role for the welfare of society as it will provide them more oppurtunities to live a healthy life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views on whether the loss of species is the main environmental problem or if others are more significant, and it provides a personal opinion. Ideas are generally relevant, such as discussing the ecological and aesthetic value of plants and animals, alongside other crises like pollution and climate change. However, some arguments lack deep development and contain minor logical inconsistencies, such as the claim that cutting plants stops people from seeing a stunning environment, or the unusual assertion about water vapours. The position is clear throughout, but the depth of support places the response comfortably within the Band 6 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with clear paragraphing, separating the introduction, two body paragraphs representing both views, a personal perspective, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand', which help structure the contrasting views. However, referencing and transitions are sometimes mechanical or slightly confusing, such as the abrupt linking in the final paragraphs. Additionally, the progression within paragraphs occasionally stumbles due to slightly awkward phrasing, but the overall structure remains clear enough to follow without difficulty, aligning with Band 6 standards.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'detrimental impact', 'contaminated water', and 'social disturbance'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation inaccuracies throughout the text, including 'environmental crises has' (subject-verb agreement), 'neccessarily things' (spelling and form error for necessary items), 'facsinating scenery', and 'casued'. These errors do not impede communication, but they restrict the lexical score to Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

A mix of simple and complex sentence structures is used throughout the essay. The student attempts complex sentences, such as 'Some species of plants add beauty to the environment so if we would cut the plants, we would not be able to see stunning environment.' However, these complex structures frequently contain errors in tense and conditional structures (e.g., 'if we would cut', 'if the polluted water does not reach... and left unwanted'). Other grammatical inaccuracies include singular/plural mismatches like 'environmental crises has'. While these errors occasionally cause strain, they rarely impede overall communication, fitting the Band 6 criteria well.

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