Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-30

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 4.5)

Most of people including me think that the main environmental problem is lose of plants and different animals species. There thinking is reasonable at some stages but all cause of problem is not the lose of plants and animals on other hands there are many different types of chemicals are being used in industries which also causes many different problems and they should be stopped. The lose of plants is a environmental problem but lose of animals is not a environmental problem according to me because losing a plant is like losing a oxygen and carbon dioxide cylinders. plant maintain the oxygen and carbon dioxide ratio of our environment so we consider that the lose of plant causes environmental problems but lose animals make any kind of environmental problems doesn't make any sense.There are a lot different environmental problems like lose ozone increase in temperature and other things but a of these are due to lose of plants.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count of 250 words, coming in at only 158 words, which heavily restricts the development of the task. While the candidate attempts to discuss both views regarding environmental problems and mentions the loss of species versus industrial chemicals, the ideas are severely underdeveloped and lack adequate extension and examples. Furthermore, the argument presented is somewhat contradictory and disjointed, claiming first that plant loss matters but animal loss does not, and then concluding that ozone depletion and temperature increases are ultimately tied back to plant loss. Because the response is significantly under-length and the ideas are rudimentary, it falls into the lower-band descriptors. To improve, the writer must ensure the word count requirement is fulfilled and spend more time expanding each viewpoint with clear explanations and real-world examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response lacks clear overall organisation and paragraphing, consisting of a single massive block of text rather than distinct paragraphs for the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Progression is difficult to follow because ideas shift abruptly without effective cohesive devices. For instance, the transition from discussing industrial chemicals to arguing about plants and animals is handled awkwardly with phrases like 'on other hands'. Pronoun referencing is also problematic, as seen in expressions like 'There thinking' and 'all cause of problem', which create confusion regarding what the pronouns refer to. To achieve a higher score, the writer must divide the essay into logical paragraphs, use clear topic sentences, and employ a wider range of appropriate cohesive devices to guide the reader smoothly through the argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, heavily relying on words like 'environmental', 'problem', 'plants', and 'animals'. There are numerous word choice and collocation errors throughout the text, such as 'lose of plants' instead of 'loss of plants', 'different animals species' instead of 'different animal species', and 'oxygen and carbon dioxide cylinders' which is an unnatural metaphor. Spelling errors also occur, such as writing 'lose' instead of 'loss'. The range of vocabulary is limited and minimally adequate for conveying basic meaning, but the frequent errors and lack of less common lexical items restrict the score to the lower bands. To progress, the student should expand their vocabulary related to the environment and practice the correct grammatical forms and collocations of words.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The grammatical range is extremely limited, relying heavily on simple sentences and prone to frequent structural errors. There is a lack of control over basic syntax, evident in sentences like 'There thinking is reasonable at some stages but all cause of problem is not the lose of plants and animals on other hands there are many different types of chemicals...' which run on without proper punctuation. Punctuation is largely neglected, missing periods between sentences, such as before 'There are a lot different environmental problems'. Errors in articles ('a environmental problem', 'a oxygen') and pluralisation are pervasive. While simple constructions occasionally communicate meaning, the high frequency of grammatical mistakes obstructs fluency and places the writing firmly in the lower band categories.

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