Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-07

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)

Some people believe that the main environmental problem of the current time is the vulnerability of specific plants and animals whereas other argument that there are more important environmental issues. But I think everything in nature depends on each other and are equally essential.

On the one hand, some portion of people state that loss of particular species of plants and animals are main environmental problem which happens due to men made or natural causes. For instance, dodos are already extinct birds. Rhinos are an endangered animals, same as kaigas and snakes, leopords and tigers are hunted for their skin, which increases their vulnerability and decrease their population. Same with plants, over consuming and over grazing are reducing its quantity. If continue, species can go extinct. All species are very important for the nature and food chain processes. However, considering these only as critical problems, we cannot ignore other environmental issues.

On the other hand, critics argue that there are other more important environmental problems which impact our nature. For example, Global warming which causes glacier melting, affecting habitat of polar bears and penguins. It also affect climate changes. Increase in population and pollution such as air pollution, noise pollution and water pollution.There are some other issues like, deforestation, soil erosion, non re-newable energies and the list goes on. All affecting the nature equally.

From my point of view, species of flora and fauna are absolutely very important for our planet but we cannot consider other environmental problems as less important. From my perspective everything in nature depends on each other and somehow relate to each other. Vulnerability of one can cause obstacles for other, so we should try to preserve and save everything.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views and give a clear overall position: species loss matters, but other environmental problems should not be treated as less important. The examples of dodos, hunted animals, global warming, pollution and deforestation are relevant. However, several points are listed rather than explained. For instance, you mention that pollution and population growth affect nature, but do not show how they compare in scale or urgency with species loss. The claim that all issues affect nature “equally” is also asserted rather than supported, and the discussion of the first view is more specific than the comparison between the two. Develop fewer examples with clearer cause-and-effect reasoning to make the response more complete and persuasive. (Eight words copied from the task prompt were not counted.)

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a concluding opinion. “On the one hand” and “On the other hand” help signal the discussion, and the conclusion returns to your central idea that nature is interconnected. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes list-like: the second body paragraph moves from global warming to population, several kinds of pollution, deforestation and soil erosion without explaining the links between them. Some connections are also unclear, as in “It also affect climate changes,” where the reference of “It” is uncertain. Use linking phrases to show cause, contrast and consequence, and organise examples around one main point in each paragraph.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of environmental vocabulary, including “endangered,” “extinct,” “food chain,” “glacier melting,” “deforestation” and “soil erosion.” These terms help communicate the topic, and the meaning is generally understandable. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “vulnerability of specific plants and animals,” “over consuming,” and “non re-newable energies.” There are also spelling or form errors, including “leopords” and “kaigas,” which make some examples less clear. Aim for more precise, natural combinations and check spelling and word forms. For example, use “decline in particular species” for the central issue and “non-renewable energy sources” for the energy example.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex forms, including a contrast in the opening sentence and conditional phrasing in “If continue, species can go extinct.” However, control is inconsistent, and errors in agreement, verb forms, articles and sentence boundaries sometimes make the reader pause. Examples include “other argument,” “loss … are main environmental problem,” “It also affect,” and the fragment “There are some other issues like…” The sentence “Rhinos are an endangered animals” also has a singular/plural mismatch. Practise building accurate clauses before adding complexity, and check that each sentence has a complete subject and verb. Pay particular attention to subject–verb agreement and singular/plural forms.

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