Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-21

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)

Some people say that the main enviromental problem of our time is the loss of particular species of plants and animals as they play an important part in our ecosystem. Others think there are more important enviromental problems, I think both sides are equally right.

For our enviroment, different plant species are essential. Many vegetables eaten by the world come from plants, for example, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots. Moreover, plants are a source of oxygen for us. The enviroment feels fresher with plants and trees. In addition, many animals survive by eating plants. Many of these animals are a crucial part of our enviroment, for example, chicken is consumed by humans and plays an important part in our diet. It is a source of protien and energy. If animals like them are lost, the affects can be bad. For example, unlimited types of food are made from chicken and many restaurants are depandent on it. They make chicken wings, chicken burgers, or chicken rice. Animals also help to eliminate harmful insects from the enviroment, for example, frogs eat bugs which can be poisnes for us but are nutrients for them. So, losing them is very harmful to our enviroment.

On the other hand, enviroment face many more issues other then lost of species. One of very harmful issue that our enviroment faces is pollution. Numerous types of diseases are caused by pollution, for example, smoke from different factories or cars results in air pollution, which has affects on breathing. Lungs are greatly damaged by smoke. Land pollution, is also harmful for many children as well as adults, for instance, many mosquitoes came to my area due to dirty water on the sides of streets, many children got dangue because of this and were rushed to the hospital. Other then pollution, climate change is a major enviromental problem, rising global tempratures has increased the frequency and intensity of certain weather events such as tornados or acid rains.

I believe, loss of plants and animals is equally harmfull as other enviromental issues we face today. The governmant is ought to solve these problems to ensure enviromental safety.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both views and give a clear position in the introduction and conclusion: “both sides are equally right” and the loss of species is “equally harmful” as other environmental issues. Relevant support includes plants as food and oxygen sources, animals’ role in food chains, pollution-related illness, and a local example involving dirty water and dengue. However, the discussion is uneven in places: the restaurant examples focus on chicken as food rather than explaining the wider ecological consequences of species loss, and the pollution and climate-change points are listed more than developed. To strengthen the response, explain the scale or long-term effects of each problem and connect examples more directly to your comparison.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, one paragraph for species loss, one for other environmental problems, and a concluding opinion. Linking phrases such as “Moreover,” “In addition,” and “On the other hand” help signal the direction of the discussion. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical because several points are introduced in a list-like sequence, and the repeated use of “for example” makes the paragraphing feel less developed. Some references are also unclear, such as “animals like them,” which requires the reader to infer the intended group. Improve progression by grouping related effects, using clearer references, and showing how each example supports the paragraph’s main claim.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic vocabulary to discuss the environment, including “ecosystem,” “air pollution,” “climate change,” and “frequency and intensity.” However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable and sometimes distract the reader: “enviromental,” “protien,” “depandent,” and “tempratures” recur or appear in key points. Some expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “unlimited types of food,” “other then lost of species,” and “acid rains.” Aim for accurate spelling and more precise collocations, for example, “a wide range of foods,” “other than species loss,” and “acid rain.” This greater control would make your ideas clearer and more convincing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “as,” “which,” and “if,” and the overall meaning is generally clear. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with agreement, articles, and sentence construction. For example, “environment face many more issues” needs a plural subject-verb match, while “One of very harmful issue” needs an article and plural agreement. In “rising global temperatures has increased,” the subject and verb do not agree. Commas also interrupt some sentence structures, as in “Land pollution, is also harmful.” Review agreement and article use, and check punctuation around introductory phrases. More consistently accurate complex sentences would improve control.

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