Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-24
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)
It is truly factual that the main environmental problem of present time in the loss of particular species of flora and fauna but there are certain huge environmental issues that need more attention. I genuinely believe that loss of many species of flora and fauna have greatly affected the balance of the wildlife but have also disturbed the regular life of living things. Many species of plants have gone extinct and a lot of numbers of animals are endangered today which have significantly affected the environment and causing imbalance in biodiversity. Various species faced abnormal changes in their nutrition cycle thus causing negative impact on their growth and development. This leads to negative impact on their reproductive cycle too that directly causes early death, infertility, abnormal genetic mutation and rise in their bad health.
Despite having many problems in environment due to loss of particular species of flora and fauna, there are many more huge problem and threats rather than this. One of the most critical but ignored issue for causing environmental problems is pollution and development. It we talk about development as a problem, it is because the progress of development causes serious trouble to wildlife like afforestation, killing animals that causes difficulty to the local animals and harms the trees. Then it we consider pollution, I believe that pollution is the biggest threat that is leading to the environmental problems. There are several types of pollution that is, water pollution, air pollution, noise pollution, and etc, which is responsible for causing complications, troubles and challenges to the biodiversity. For example water pollution disturbs the life of flora and fauna that lives inside the water bodies, causes trouble to local animals and plants and also increases the waterborne diseases that are harmful for humans and animals as well. So we should contribute to reduce the pollution and its effect to the nature by taking major steps to reduce pollution.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. While you mention the loss of species and pollution, the arguments lack depth and specific, well-explained examples. For instance, the discussion on 'development' as a problem is vague, and the term 'afforestation' is used incorrectly (it means planting trees, not cutting them down). To reach a higher band, you should provide more concrete, real-world examples and ensure your arguments are logically extended rather than just listed.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression from the first view to the second. You use some cohesive devices like 'Despite having,' 'For example,' and 'So,' which help the flow. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'Then it we consider pollution.' Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, and the connection between sentences could be smoother to improve the overall flow of ideas. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the internal cohesion needs more variety and precision.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You have an adequate range of vocabulary to discuss the topic, but there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'huge environmental issues' is a bit simplistic, and 'afforestation' is used incorrectly to describe deforestation. Phrases like 'a lot of numbers of animals' are unnatural. While you attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'biodiversity' and 'reproductive cycle,' the overall control is inconsistent. To improve, focus on learning collocations and using more precise academic terminology rather than general descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader, such as subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'loss of many species... have greatly affected' should be 'has') and incorrect article usage. The phrase 'It we talk about' is a clear typo for 'If we talk about.' While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. You should focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring complex sentences are constructed accurately.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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