Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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 recent years, there has been considerable debate on addressing the vital environmental problems of our time. However some people believe that the main environmental problem of our time is the los of particular species of plants and animlas, while others argue that there are more important environmental problems. Although both the views are equally important, I believe apart form the loss of particular habitats there are more concening environmental problems such as globalization and global warming which steadily destroying the habitats and our natural resources.

On the one hand, many valuable plants and animals increasingly becoming extinct, due to activities such as deforestation or due to globalization. This extinction has affected the food chain of habitats As a result, the balance between predators and prey is disturbed which affects the environment directly. Furthermore, loss of particular habitats results in increase in pollutions and reduces the food sources. As a result entire ecosystem gets disturbed results in bigger environmenal problems.

On the other hand, climate change is the major environmental problem which needs to be adress as soon as possible. The growing urabnization and increasing amount of emission of green house gas in the atmosphere is responsible for the extinction of habitats and creating main environmental problem such as: floods, erosion and deforestation. Furthermore, increasing temperature of earth due to global warming is melting snows from glaciers and mountaions which results environmental probles like flash floods, capable of destroying many life and homes.

In conclusion, loss of particular species of plants and animals may be one of the major environmental problems we are facing today but there are other more important environmental problems like climate change, urabanization and global warming which needs to be address as soon as possible.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You discuss both perspectives and give a clear overall view: species loss matters, but climate change and related pressures are more concerning. The first body paragraph explains how extinction can disrupt food chains, while the second links climate change with floods and habitat damage, so the response is relevant and covers the task. However, the two sides are not developed equally: the discussion of species loss is brief, and the claim that globalization is a major environmental problem is introduced without a clear explanation or example. Your conclusion restates your position, but the argument would be stronger if each view were supported with a specific example and the relationship between these environmental problems were explained more precisely. (18 words copied from the task prompt were not counted.)

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. The contrast between “On the one hand” and “On the other hand” helps readers follow the discussion, and cause-and-effect links such as “As a result” make the intended relationships clear. However, these linking phrases are sometimes mechanical or repeated, and some connections are unclear. For example, the first paragraph uses “As a result” twice, while “loss of particular habitats results in increase in pollutions” does not clearly connect to the preceding point about species extinction. Improve progression by making each paragraph’s main point explicit and using references and transitions that show exactly how one idea leads to the next.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of environmental vocabulary, including “food chain,” “predators and prey,” “ecosystem,” “emission,” and “glaciers.” These choices help communicate the topic, and some less common terms are attempted. However, inaccurate word forms, spelling, and collocations are noticeable and sometimes make the meaning less precise: examples include “los,” “animlas,” “environmenal,” “urabnization,” and “increasing amount of emission.” Phrases such as “loss of particular habitats” and “main environmental problem such as” are also awkward or imprecise in context. Aim to check spelling carefully and learn common environmental collocations, such as “habitat loss,” “greenhouse-gas emissions,” and “rising global temperatures,” so your vocabulary is both accurate and natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “while,” “which,” and “due to,” and the overall meaning is generally understandable. However, errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction recur. For instance, “which steadily destroying” needs a finite verb (“which are steadily destroying”), and “many valuable plants and animals increasingly becoming extinct” needs “are.” The conclusion’s “problems … which needs to be address” has agreement and passive-form errors; it should be “problems … which need to be addressed.” There are also missing articles or plural forms in phrases such as “results in increase in pollutions.” Review subject–verb agreement and build complex sentences around complete clauses, then proofread punctuation and sentence boundaries.

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