Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-28

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's a longstanding debate regarding environmental problems. Some believe that the main issue is the extinction of certain plants and animal while other argue that there are more demanding concerns. While extinction is a drastic problem, I believe pollution is the most concerning issue at the moment.

Loss of plants and animals such as Bangladesh's Royal Bengal Tiger found primarily in the Sundarban areas, are a threat to biodiversity. Although, these tigers prey on other wildlife, it is largely believed that they were also the ones keeping the the forest and swamp alive. They are also considered to be the national animal of the country. Therefore, them being erased from existence is also a loss of Bangladesh's culture and individuality.

However, this isn't as pressing as the rising level of pollution. Due to the growing global population, a lot of housing areas are required to built. Moreover, a greater amount of people commute and more goods are being transported from place to place. These contribute substantially to pollutions. Building apartments generate noise pollution while car and bus fumes worsen air pollution. Furthermore, industrial sites or factories continuously dump their wastes into river bodies, thereby causing water pollution, threating marine lives which may also contribute towards their extinction. Pollution not only endanger people's health but they also negatively impact animals and plants in a similar manner. For instance, huge amount of carbon monoxide hinder photosynthesis in plants and thus they may wither due to lack of nutrition.

Therefore, people should be more concerned about environmental problem like pollution since this is the root cause of further degradation of the environment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both views and state a clear position: species loss is serious, but pollution is the more pressing concern. The examples of the Bengal tiger and pollution from transport, construction and factories make the discussion relevant. The explanation of pollution’s effects is more developed than the case for species loss, however; the claim that tigers “kept the forest and swamp alive” is not explained, and the cultural significance point could be linked more clearly to environmental consequences. Some claims, such as carbon monoxide hindering photosynthesis, would benefit from greater precision or support. To strengthen the response, develop the ecological consequences of species loss and explain more fully why pollution is the root cause of wider environmental damage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear overall progression: an introduction presents the debate and your view, the next paragraph discusses species loss, and the following paragraph develops pollution before a concluding recommendation. Linking expressions such as “However,” “Moreover,” “Furthermore” and “Therefore” help readers follow the argument. The pollution paragraph contains several related causes and effects, but the chain of ideas becomes crowded; separating causes from consequences, or using clearer transitions between them, would improve the flow. Some references are also imprecise, as in “they” in “they also negatively impact animals and plants,” where the intended subject could be clearer. Overall, the organisation is logical, with some room for more flexible and precise cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of topic vocabulary, including “biodiversity,” “extinction,” “air pollution,” “marine lives” and “degradation of the environment.” These choices allow you to discuss several environmental impacts, and phrases such as “loss of … culture and individuality” show an attempt to express more nuanced ideas. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, including “more demanding concerns,” “contribute to pollutions” and “river bodies.” There are also word-form or spelling slips, such as “threating.” These do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and naturalness. Aim to use established environmental collocations and check singular/plural forms when editing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex structures, including subordinate clauses beginning “Although” and “since,” and the sentence explaining how factory waste affects marine life. Meaning is generally clear, but some grammatical errors remain. Examples include “plants and animal” and “other argue,” where plural forms are needed; “housing areas are required to built,” which needs a passive infinitive; and “pollution not only endanger … but they also,” where subject–verb agreement and parallel structure are faulty. The phrase “the the forest” also contains a repeated article. Review agreement, articles, plurals and verb patterns, then proofread for small slips. More consistent accuracy across these varied sentence forms would strengthen the response.

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