Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-08

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)

In the recent years, whether the loss of wildlife is the main environmental problem has become a widely debated issue. While some people argue that there are other significant issues affecting the environment, I believe that global warming and climate change are more significant. This essay will explain the main reasons for my viewpoint.

Global warming and climate change have been pressing issues over the years. This is mainly because they lead to higher sea level resulting in floods which may result in loss of life and property.Additionally, they may cause changes in rainfall which may result in droughts.Therefore, it is evident that global warming and climate change has more devastating impact than loss of animals and plants species.

On the other view, loss of animals and plants are also environmental problems. Although minor but some plants are important due to their unique properties. Furthermore,some are known for attracting tourist. Loosing them may result in decrease in revenue. For instance, people travel from all over the world to see Mulanje cider,a tree that is only found on Mulanje mountain.Loosing such kind of trees can be considered as an environmental problem. Wildlife is also part of the eco-system loosing them makes the system incomplete.

In conclusion , although plants and animals are important, I firmly believe that there are other environmental issues that need attention.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views and state a clear opinion: you consider climate change more significant, while acknowledging the importance of species loss. The examples of flooding, drought, tourism and the Mulanje cedar help make the discussion relevant. However, the comparison is asserted rather than fully explained: the claim that climate change has a “more devastating impact” would be stronger if you showed how its effects extend beyond particular species or threaten people and ecosystems on a wider scale. The opposing view is also brief, and the conclusion mostly repeats your position rather than drawing the discussion together. The response is 26 words below the required minimum, which limits the space available to develop both sides. Extend the reasoning and support each main point more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. The progression from climate change to species loss is easy to follow, and signposts such as “Additionally,” “On the other view,” and “In conclusion” help identify the stages of the argument. Cohesion is sometimes mechanical, however, and several sentences repeat the same cause-and-effect pattern using “may result in.” The transition “On the other view” is also less natural than a direct contrast such as “On the other hand.” Some links between ideas could be clearer: the tourism example supports the economic value of a species, but its connection to the wider environmental argument is not explained. Vary linking methods and make relationships between examples and claims explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “global warming,” “droughts,” “revenue,” and “eco-system,” and the Mulanje example adds specificity. The range is adequate for discussing the topic, but some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or repetitive, which keeps the expression from being consistently precise. For example, “higher sea level” is better expressed as “rising sea levels,” and “attracting tourist” needs a more natural plural phrase such as “attracting tourists.” “Loosing” is a spelling error for “losing,” and “plants and animals species” is an awkward noun phrase. Repeated use of “result in” also limits variety. Aim to use accurate environmental collocations and check spelling and word forms during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including a concession with “Although” and a relative clause in “a tree that is only found on Mulanje mountain.” Meaning is generally understandable, but some grammatical and punctuation errors recur. For example, “climate change has more devastating impact” has a subject–verb agreement problem with the compound subject and needs an article before “more devastating impact.” “Loss of animals and plants are” also has a mismatch between the singular subject “loss” and the verb. Several sentence boundaries need attention: “property.Additionally” and “droughts.Therefore” lack spaces, while “loosing them makes the system incomplete” joins two clauses without suitable punctuation. Review agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries, especially in longer sentences.

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