Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-05

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)

Some people argue that the main environmental issue of our time is the loss of particular species of plants and animals while others are of the opinion that there are more crucial environmental problems. I certtainly agree to the first party regarding this issue but i believe that there are more dangerous threats than the loss of plants and animals.

First of all, i believe humans are more affected by the environmental problems as there are increased number of patients of skin cancer, lungs issues, eyes problems and many more to count all because of the poor enviironment we live in today. In my opinion, humans are of prime importance to the existencve of this universe and they should be protected in first priority than plants and animals. For example, if a human dies, there is no way that we can reproduce or make him or her alive again but if a plant or animal dies we can certainly produce another one not the same but enough to make the work done for us.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response responds to the task only minimally and fails to meet the length requirement, containing 161 words against the minimum of 250 words (including 13 words copied from the prompt which were not counted). The essay attempts to discuss both views regarding environmental problems and provides a personal opinion, but the ideas are severely limited and under-developed. For instance, the argument regarding human health issues such as skin cancer and lung problems is stated briefly without sufficient extension or supporting evidence. Furthermore, the writer's stance contains a slight contradiction when stating agreement with the first party but immediately asserting that there are more dangerous threats. To reach a higher level, the writer must fully address all parts of the prompt with well-developed ideas and meet the word count requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

Information and ideas are not arranged in a fully coherent manner. While the essay attempts a basic structure by using transitional phrases such as 'First of all', the overall progression lacks clarity and logical flow. Paragraphing is weak, as the entire body of the argument is crammed into a single, overly dense paragraph instead of being broken down into distinct paragraphs for each view and the writer's opinion. Cohesive devices are used minimally and somewhat mechanically, and referencing pronouns like 'they' and 'this' occasionally lack clear antecedents, causing minor confusion for the reader. To improve cohesion, the writer should organise ideas into clear, logical paragraphs and employ a wider range of cohesive ties to connect sentences smoothly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task. The writer attempts some less common terms, such as 'environmental issue', 'crucial', and 'existencve', but this is accompanied by noticeable errors in word form, spelling, and word choice that cause some difficulty for the reader. For example, 'certtainly', 'enviironment', and 'existencve' contain spelling mistakes, while phrases like 'lungs issues', 'eyes problems', and 'in first priority' demonstrate unnatural collocation and incorrect preposition usage. To achieve a higher score, the writer needs to expand their lexical range, demonstrate greater precision in word choice and collocations, and eliminate basic spelling errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The grammar demonstrates a limited range of structures, relying mostly on simple sentences with occasional attempts at complex forms that often turn out faulty. There are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that can cause difficulty for the reader. Instances include capitalization and punctuation issues such as 'i' instead of 'I', missing articles ('increased number of patients', 'poor enviironment'), and agreement errors. Additionally, run-on tendencies and awkward clause structures, such as 'if a human dies, there is no way that we can reproduce or make him or her alive again', hinder grammatical accuracy. To improve, the writer should practice forming complex sentences reliably and focus on reducing frequent errors in articles, pronouns, and sentence boundaries.

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