Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-07-30
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
The best way to provide enough homes in large cities is to build tall apartment blocks.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 6.0)
Some people think that zoos are cruel and should be closed down. Others, however, believe that zoos can be useful in protecting wild animals.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Few individuals believe that zoos are merciless and should be shut down. While, others wonder that animal park can be beneficial in preserving wild creatures. In my opinion wildlife reserves should be protected for the wild animals. This essay highlights the positive effect and negative effect on animals living in the zoos.
On the one hand, zoos play an crucial role in protecting animals. Nowadays, many animals are in jeopardy of extinction because of hunting and cutting down forests. For instance, giant panda in China were saved from extinction through breeding program in zoos. Zoos give these animals a safe place to live and help them breed. In addition, zoos are good for education. People and children can visit zoos to learn about different animals, which help them understand the importance of nature.
On the other hand, many people argue that keeping animals in cage is unnatural. Animals in zoos do not have enough space to run or hunt like they do in the wild. For instance, large animals like elephants often walk in group because they feel stressed and bored. Being kept in small spaces for a long time can make animal frustrated and stressed. Furthermore, some zoos only care about making money from visitors instead of taking good care of the animals.
In conclusion, while living in zoos can caused stress for animals zoos are still necessary to protect rare species and educate people. Therefore, I believe zoos should not be closed down but they must improve their living conditions for animals.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response is completely off-topic. The prompt asks for an opinion on whether tall apartment blocks are the best way to provide housing in large cities. However, the student has written an essay about whether zoos should be closed down. This is a significant failure to address the task requirements. According to the IELTS criteria, if a response is largely off-topic, it must be penalised heavily in Task Achievement. While the essay is structured as an argument, it does not engage with the specific prompt provided. Consequently, it cannot be awarded a passing score for task response.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
Despite the off-topic content, the essay itself is logically organised. The student uses clear paragraphing, with an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting opposing views, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'In addition', and 'Furthermore' are used effectively to signal the progression of ideas. The internal structure of the essay is coherent, even though the content does not match the task instructions. The logical flow is easy to follow, and the progression of arguments is clear.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, showing a reasonable range of topic-specific language related to the (incorrect) topic of zoos. Phrases like 'jeopardy of extinction', 'breeding program', and 'living conditions' demonstrate a functional level of English. There are some minor errors, such as 'merciless' (which is slightly unnatural in this context; 'cruel' is better) and 'animal park' (singular/plural mismatch). However, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning clearly throughout the text.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'While, others wonder that animal park can be beneficial' (incorrect use of 'wonder' and article usage) and 'living in zoos can caused stress' (incorrect verb tense). Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear, and the mistakes do not impede communication. The student demonstrates a basic control of grammar, though the range of complex structures is somewhat limited and prone to errors.
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