Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-06

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)

So, i don't think that the main environmental problem of our time is the loss of particular species of plants and animals but that is one of the problem we can't conclude this as the main problem as there are many other issues which are affecting environment.

The habit of few people in our country can also lead to many big environmental problems, such as disposing industrial waste in rivers and any water bodies which leads to water pollution. The government cutting down trees to contrust bridges and make roads. I agree improvement of infrastucture is also important but cutting down many trees and harming environment is not at all a good idea as fresh oxygen is also important. We should not harm our environment because it can also lead to many serious diseases such as dangue, malaria etcetra.

At the same time i do think that the loss of particular species of plants and animal is also an environmental problem. Nowadays we are not able to see sparrows as they are getting extinct because of deforestation, pollution, and climate change. Every plant and animal has an important role in nature. If one species disappear it leads to a huge loss in environment.

In my opinion, all environmental problems are connected, but climate change and pollution are more serious because they affect both humans and wildlife. Government and People should work together to protect nature and reduce pollution.

In conclusion, although the loss of the plants and animals is an important issue, I believe that climate change and pollution are bigger environmental problems because they have a huge impact on the world.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both views and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the argument regarding industrial waste and infrastructure is relevant but lacks depth, and the link between environmental problems and diseases like 'dengue' is not fully explained in the context of the prompt. While the position is consistent, the supporting arguments would benefit from more specific examples or a more logical expansion to reach a higher band. The essay covers all parts of the task but remains at a general level of discussion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. There is a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat basic and occasionally repetitive. For example, the transition between the discussion of species loss and the broader environmental issues could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences sometimes feels a bit mechanical. Improving the variety of linking words would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There are some spelling errors, such as 'contrust' (construct), 'infrastucture' (infrastructure), and 'etcetra' (etcetera). The student relies on common, everyday language rather than more sophisticated or topic-specific vocabulary. While the meaning is always clear, the lack of variety in word choice and the presence of spelling mistakes limit the score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'one of the problem' (should be 'problems'), 'any water bodies' (should be 'other water bodies'), and 'if one species disappear' (should be 'disappears'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas and capitalization of 'i'. While the errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the message, they are frequent enough to indicate a lack of control over complex structures.

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