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)

According to a few individuals, the common environmental impacts of our time include damage to specific living organisms, such as plants and animals. In the view of others, there are a lot of essential environmental problems. I believe that the extinction of plant and animal species is the most serious environmental problem. In this essay, I will discuss both sides and then give my own opinion.

On the one hand, some people think that environmental problems are caused by the loss of species. The cutting of plants will cause deforestation because most people cut them to meet their requirements. The loss of plants causes huge disadvantages, such as global warming and oxygen deficiency. Through deforestation, we shoot on our own foot by reducing the sources of food. By cutting plants, the natural habitat of birds and other animals also decreases. Hunting of animals also causes the extinction of those animal species. Animals provide us varies foods. For example, we get milk from cows, from which we make butter and other products.

On the other hand, others agree that there are various environmental problems. Firstly, the problems caused by this include climate change, which causes rising temperatures, heatwaves, droughts, and floods. Secondly, it will become a source of pollution, including water pollution and air pollution. The polluted air can cause respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, while water pollution causes the loss of marine animals by damaging their gills and also decreases the amount of oxygen in water. For instance, waste plastic will damage aquatic ecosystems.

In my point of view, species extinction can permanently reduce biodiversity, and the disappearance of one species can disturb entire ecosystems. In conclusion, both viewpoints are correct in their own right, but I believe the loss of particular plants and animals leads to more damage to our environment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views and state a consistent opinion: you argue that species extinction is the most serious problem, then explain how biodiversity loss can disrupt ecosystems. The discussion of other environmental problems also includes relevant examples, such as climate change, pollution, and plastic waste. However, the two sides are not developed equally. The first paragraph focuses largely on deforestation and its effects, rather than clearly explaining why the loss of particular species is itself the main problem; the cow example about food products does not strongly support the extinction argument. Your position is clear, but the reasoning needs more precise links between species loss and wider environmental consequences, alongside fuller explanation of why the other problems are less important.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion that restates your position. Signposts such as “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 or unclear. For example, the move from deforestation to “we shoot on our own foot” and then to animal habitats would benefit from more explicit explanation. The phrase “the problems caused by this” in the second body paragraph also has an unclear reference. To improve progression, organise each paragraph around one central claim and use clearer links to show how each example supports it.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant environmental vocabulary, including “deforestation,” “biodiversity,” “ecosystems,” and “respiratory and cardiovascular diseases,” which helps communicate the topic. There is also some variety in how you describe environmental effects. However, several word choices and collocations are imprecise or unnatural, such as “common environmental impacts,” “a lot of essential environmental problems,” and “shoot on our own foot.” “The cutting of plants” is also too general for the intended meaning, while “Animals provide us varies foods” contains an incorrect word form and awkward phrasing. Aim for more precise terms and natural academic collocations, and check that each expression conveys the intended relationship between species loss and environmental harm.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses with “which” and “while,” and most of the argument remains understandable. Some grammatical errors are present, particularly in sentence construction and agreement. For example, “Animals provide us varies foods” has an incorrect form after “provide us,” and “The loss of plants causes huge disadvantages” is grammatically possible but the sentence structure does not clearly express the intended causal point. In “The polluted air can cause …, while water pollution causes …,” the parallel structure is clearer and could serve as a model for other comparisons. Work on accurate noun phrases, verb forms, and sentence links, while continuing to use complex structures with careful proofreading.

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