Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

It is a debatable topic whether the main environmental problems is extinction of particular animals and plants or there are other more crucial problems such as deforestation, famine, soil erosion, global warming and pollution where main focus should be given. I personally incline towards the opinion that loss of the particular species of plants and animals is a more crucial issue to be emphasised at.

On one hand, it is very crucial to look into other environmental problems such as deforestation, famine, soil errosion and pollution but these issues can be resolved and reversed if necessary actions are implemented. For example, pollution is one the leading environmental problems which is damaging the eco system and atmosphere and can be a cause to a bigger problem such as global warming. But with strict regulations and rules set by the government this problem can be ceased, such as implementing strict fines on people who litter, promoting recycle and reuse of waste before completely discarding it.

On the other hand, Extinction of certain species of animals and plants can distrupt the complete cycle of wildlife as well as humans. For instance, If a specific flower would go instinct it would cause distruption in pollination and eventually cause distruption for bees and other instects. Nature has certain life cycles where every living being is dependent on the other one. If one cease to exist the process would not completely reverse and would cause a big gap in the cyclic process. Humans also rely on plants and animals for their dietary patterns which eventually causes release of substance required for the growth of other plants and animals, so if one element from the cycle goes missing the entire chain of events would collapse.

In conclusion, the other environmental problems except extinction of species would also cause a havoc to the wildlife and would end up in a crises but all those problems can be reversible if necessary measures are implemented by the individuals as well as the government. However if we look into the other category the problems can be vast and irreversible which can cause much greater harm to the eco system.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both views and state a clear preference for treating species loss as the more serious issue. The discussion of other problems includes a relevant example of pollution and possible government action, while the second view explains how losing a species could disrupt pollination and wider food chains. This meets the task well, but the two sides are not developed equally: the first paragraph gives limited explanation of how problems such as deforestation or global warming might compare with extinction. Some claims, such as that other problems can be reversed, are broad and would benefit from qualification or evidence. To strengthen the response, compare the scale and long-term consequences of the problems more explicitly and support the examples with clearer reasoning. Your position is present, though its justification could be more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. The progression from the more manageable environmental problems to the potentially irreversible effects of species loss is easy to follow. Linking phrases such as “On one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” help signal the stages of the argument, and examples generally appear in the relevant paragraph. Some connections are less smooth, however: the first body paragraph moves from pollution to government penalties and recycling without fully linking these measures to the wider comparison. The conclusion also repeats the contrast rather than drawing the reasoning together. Use more precise referencing and transitions between cause and consequence, while retaining this clear paragraph structure.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant environmental vocabulary, including “deforestation,” “soil erosion,” “pollution,” “pollination,” and “ecosystem,” which allows you to discuss the topic. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “necessary actions are implemented” and “irreversible.” However, noticeable spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision: “errosion,” “distrupt,” “instinct” for “extinct,” and “eco system” are examples. Some combinations are unnatural or imprecise, including “ceased” for a problem being stopped and “cause a havoc.” Repetition of “problem,” “cause,” and “cycle” also limits flexibility. Aim to learn accurate spelling alongside natural collocations, and choose terms that express the intended environmental process precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including conditional and cause-and-effect structures: “if a specific flower would go extinct…” and “if one element from the cycle goes missing…”. This gives the response some structural variety, and the main meaning is generally understandable. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with agreement, articles, and sentence construction. For example, “the main environmental problems is” has a subject–verb agreement error, while “one the leading environmental problems” is missing a word. The sentence beginning “Humans also rely on plants and animals…” becomes difficult to follow because its clauses are not clearly connected. Review agreement and article use, and divide long sentences when the relationship between ideas is unclear. More accurate control of these structures would improve readability.

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