Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-11

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)

Environmental problems become a serious issue nowadays in different countries around the world. Some believe that the current main environmental problem is the loss of different species of plants and animals, while others argue that there are several other important environmental peoblems. In my opinion environmental problems are the main issues such as climate change, pollution and damage of ozone layer.

On the one hand, those who believe that the loss of particular species of plants and animals is the main environmental problem argue that plants and animals paly a crucial role in maintaining the ecosystem. Some plants are useful in various types of medicens, and these plants are disappearing in these days. In addition, plants absorb significant amount of carbon dioxide and produce fresh air which is benefiial for the health.

On the other hand, there are several other environmental issues such as climate change, air pollution, water pollution, and damage of the ozone layer. Climate change is becomming a serious issue around the world, when fossil fuel burn then it produced significant amount of carbon emission and green house gases which lead to climate change, air pollution and also a largest contributor to the damage of the ozone layer. Water pollution is also a serious problem, people throw the household waste in rives and an open areas which pollute water and create several diseases.

In conclusion, loss of the species of plants and animals is the main problem of the current time, but there are also several other serious environmental issues such as climate change, water and air pollution. I believe that environmental issue is more important than loss of animals and plants.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both views and give a personal position, so the response addresses the main parts of the task. The first body paragraph explains why species loss matters, mentioning ecosystem balance, medicinal plants and carbon absorption. The second introduces other problems, including climate change and pollution, and gives a basic example of waste contaminating water. However, the position is not fully consistent: the introduction says environmental problems such as climate change are the main issues, while the conclusion first calls species loss the main problem and then says broader environmental issues are more important. Clarify which view you support and maintain that position throughout. Some points, especially the effects of species loss and the causes or consequences of pollution, need fuller explanation or a specific example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. The signposts “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the discussion. Within paragraphs, however, some links between ideas are abrupt, and the conclusion repeats both sides without resolving the conflicting position stated earlier. The sentence beginning “Climate change is becoming…” also combines several claims—fossil fuels, emissions, air pollution and ozone damage—without clearly showing how each point connects. Use clearer sequencing and references, and organise each paragraph around one main claim followed by its explanation and example. This would make the progression more controlled rather than relying mainly on standard transition phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant environmental vocabulary, including “ecosystem,” “carbon dioxide,” “fossil fuel,” “emissions,” and “water pollution,” which gives you an adequate range for the topic. There are also attempts at more specific phrasing, such as “maintaining the ecosystem” and “a significant amount.” However, spelling errors such as “peoblems,” “medicens,” “benefiial,” “becomming,” and “rives” are noticeable, and some word combinations are inaccurate or imprecise, including “produce fresh air” and “damage of the ozone layer.” Choose more natural collocations, such as “release oxygen” and “damage to the ozone layer,” and proofread spelling carefully. More precise vocabulary would also help distinguish the different environmental causes and effects.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple sentences and some attempts at complex structures, including “those who believe…” and the clause explaining that emissions “lead to climate change.” Most ideas remain understandable, but errors in sentence construction and grammatical forms recur. For example, “when fossil fuel burn then it produced” has problems with tense, agreement and clause structure; “plants absorb significant amount” needs an article; and “people throw the household waste in rives and an open areas” has article and number errors. The sentence about fossil fuels also joins several clauses in a way that makes the relationships unclear. Practise building accurate cause-and-effect sentences and check subject–verb agreement, articles and singular/plural forms. Greater control of these patterns would make your complex sentences clearer.

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