Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-11-14

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)

In recent times, few citizens say that the loss of particular species of plants and animals is the crucial environmental problem. While some individuals say that there are more significant environmental problems. Both views have their own aspects that discussed in the following paragraphs.

To begin with, few people say that the loss of specific plants and species of their time are the main cause of environmental problem, due to trees and animals of diverse varieties control environmental pollution. When a species become extinct, the whole food chain is affacted. For instance, if bees disappear, pollination will stop and food production will decrease dramatically.

On the other hand, some individuals say that there are more crucial environmental challanges like water and air pollution. Water pollution is a major environmental concern in urban areas. Citizens dispose of excessive amounts of household waste. There is also a major cause of environmental harm. People should conserve less water. Moreover, air pollution is detrimental to human health. It cause serious disease like asthma. Most of the people face difficulty in breathing. For instance, In Lahore, smog cause shortness of breath and damages plants.

In conclusion, after considering the aforementioned arguments, I firmly believe that, there are more crucial environmental issues which harm the entire climate. As mentioned above air and water pollution are the main causes that harm the environment,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You discuss both views and state your own position: the first body paragraph explains how species loss can disrupt food chains, while the second identifies air and water pollution as broader concerns. The bee example and the reference to smog in Lahore help make the points relevant. However, the response only partially develops the task: the claim that pollution harms the entire climate is not explained, and the water-pollution paragraph includes the unclear suggestion that people should “conserve less water.” Your position is present, but the reasons for prioritising pollution need fuller explanation and support. The response is 217 words, so it is 33 words below the required minimum; this limits the space available to develop both views and your opinion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. Transitions such as “To begin with,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” help signal the stages of the discussion. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear. In the pollution paragraph, “There is also a major cause of environmental harm” does not clearly connect to the preceding point, and the advice to conserve less water interrupts the argument. The conclusion repeats the claim that air and water pollution are important rather than drawing the discussion together. Use clearer links between each claim and its explanation, and ensure that each paragraph develops one connected line of reasoning.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of environmental vocabulary, including “extinct,” “food chain,” “pollination,” “water pollution,” and “detrimental to human health.” These terms help communicate the topic, and some less common choices show an attempt to be precise. However, several word-choice and spelling errors reduce accuracy: “affacted,” “challanges,” and “disease” in “serious disease like asthma” need correction, while “conserve less water” appears to express the opposite of the intended meaning. Repetition of “crucial,” “major,” and “environmental problem” also limits variety. Aim for accurate collocations and use a wider range of precise terms, such as “biodiversity loss” and “contamination,” where appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a conditional example: “When a species become extinct, the whole food chain is affacted.” This shows an effort to explain cause and effect, but errors in sentence structure and verb forms are frequent enough to make some sentences awkward or unclear. For example, “While some individuals say that there are more significant environmental problems” is a fragment, and “It cause serious disease” has subject–verb agreement and article/plural problems. Other examples include “a species become extinct” and “smog cause.” Review agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries, and check that each subordinate clause is attached to a complete main clause. More accurate control of these patterns would make your ideas easier to follow.

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