Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-16

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 6.5)

There is a lot of discussion about various environmental issues faced by today's generation. Many people would argue that the number of endangered species being reported throughout the world is concerning but I believe that other environmental problems like global warming and climat change are much more severe concerns to consider.

On the one hand, scientists have suggested that the negative impact of global warming could be irreplaceable. The effects of this are quite visible and rectifying this situation could be difficult in the future. For instance, the recent devastating flood that hit Nepal was caused by a glacier melting and it claimed thousands of innocent lives. The consequences of global warming are more severe than people are anticipating.

On the other hand, extinction of particular plants and animals is also a serious issue and this is also a negative impact of human intervention. Many animals who are now extinct or on the verge of it were victims of human greed. Similarly, over exploitation of distinct species of plants have resulted in their extinction. For example, poachers would hunt for specific animals for their skins and meat as it would sell under a profitable price. Another reason of the loss of particular species of plants and animals is the harsh climate change caused by human activities. This leads to plants and animals not being able to withstand the climat changes.

In conclusion, extinction of species is an important issue to look into but according to me the rapidly worsening of the climate is a major environmental problem that should be considered important.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both views and state a clear opinion: the introduction and conclusion identify climate change as the more serious concern, while the body paragraphs discuss climate impacts and species loss. Relevant examples, including glacier melting in Nepal and poaching, help support the discussion. This meets the task well, and the position is clear. However, the two sides are not developed equally: the climate-change paragraph focuses mainly on one flood example, while the species paragraph gives several causes but does not explain their wider consequences in much detail. Some claims, such as the flood having claimed “thousands” of lives, would be stronger with precise, reliable support. Develop the comparison more explicitly to make the reasoning more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. The signposts “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” make the progression easy to follow, and the ideas generally remain grouped by topic. This is a coherent arrangement, though some linking is mechanical and connections between points could be clearer. For example, “Similarly” introduces plant exploitation after animal poaching, but the relationship between these examples is not fully explained. The final sentence repeats the central position rather than drawing together the comparison. Use more precise referencing and transitions, and make the relationship between causes, examples, and your judgement explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “endangered species,” “human intervention,” “over exploitation,” and “glacier melting,” and the meaning is generally clear. There are also attempts at less common expressions, such as “irreplaceable” and “rapidly worsening,” but some choices are inaccurate or unnatural. “Climat change” is misspelled more than once, “over exploitation” is better written as “overexploitation,” and “sell under a profitable price” does not express the intended idea naturally. “The rapidly worsening of the climate” is also an awkward phrase. These issues do not prevent understanding, but more accurate collocations and careful spelling would make the argument more precise and fluent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses such as “Many animals who are now extinct or on the verge of it were victims of human greed” and “This leads to plants and animals not being able to withstand…” Most sentences communicate their meaning clearly, but some grammatical choices are inaccurate. In “the recent devastating flood that hit Nepal was caused by a glacier melting and it claimed…,” the coordination is awkward and the reference of “it” could be clearer. “The rapidly worsening of the climate is a major environmental problem” also has an incorrect grammatical construction; use “the rapid worsening of the climate” or “the climate is worsening rapidly.” Continue varying sentence structures while checking clause connections and noun forms.

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