Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-07
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)
Some individuals believe that nowadays the major environmental issue is losing significant species of animals and plants. However, others reckon that there are other problems which are more crucial. In this essay, I will discuss both of these views before presenting my own.
On the one hand, the extinction of certain flora and fauna is considered a real threat which can affect human life and the future. Plenty of species have been becoming extinct since decades ago and this trend has been continuing until now which can be very harmful for the next generation because they would not be able to see certain types of lions, tigers, birds or trees. As long as the new generation is not familiar with the important role of nature, they won't care enough about it.
On the other hand, some may argue that there are more challenging problems to be solved. Such as air pollution, overpopulation and global warming.
which all of them have a direct impact on the environment. As we can observe now in the metropolitan cities we are facing with increasing amount of population which can cause air and noise pollution. However, in my opinion, all of these problems are also related to animals and plants because if they are able to live on the earth humans can too. If people are putting the trees every year that is good for environment because we do this one environmental stability manage and not effect in earth .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The essay addresses both sides of the argument and provides a personal opinion. However, the response is slightly under the 250-word minimum, which limits the depth of development. The ideas regarding the importance of biodiversity versus other environmental issues are relevant but remain somewhat superficial. The conclusion is particularly underdeveloped and lacks clarity in its reasoning, failing to fully synthesize the arguments presented. To improve, you should expand on your examples and ensure your personal opinion is clearly articulated and supported with more robust logical links.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, and there is a basic attempt at logical progression. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For instance, the sentence fragment 'Such as air pollution...' is not properly linked to the preceding paragraph. Additionally, the transition between the discussion of species loss and other environmental issues is abrupt. The final paragraph lacks a clear concluding thought, making the overall flow feel disjointed. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for a higher band. You rely on basic terms like 'important' and 'problems' repeatedly. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'putting the trees' instead of 'planting trees' and 'environmental stability manage', which is unclear. While the meaning is generally conveyed, the lack of sophisticated vocabulary and the presence of word-choice errors limit the score. Focus on learning topic-specific collocations related to environmental science to improve your lexical variety.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'Plenty of species have been becoming extinct since decades ago' (incorrect tense/preposition usage) and 'if they are able to live on the earth humans can too' (missing punctuation and awkward phrasing). There are also issues with sentence fragments and subject-verb agreement. While the meaning is usually understandable, the high frequency of errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for tense consistency.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.