Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-30

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 people believe main environmental problem right now is loss of particular species of plants and animals but other people say, there are more important problems.

In my opinion, one of the most common and heart wrenching problem in our environment is loss of particular species of plants and animals. As we know, our environment lacks many of common plants and animals also marine animals due to different reasons.

First of all, the growing population in world results in cutting of forest and other trees around us to make towns and cities results in lack of plants in environment. This should be banned and government should take other steps to built-up the society. As the destructive decrease in plants species results in lack of rainfall which directly effects the climate results in global warming.

Additionally, the lack of awareness and increase in global warming, that extreme high or extreme low temperature results in death of different animals. The elephants going to extinction, some of the birds and pandas seen very rarely in Pakistan.

Moreover, the marine life is also effecting by the environmental pollution, many of the water plants and animal found dead every year in sea. The industrial waste and plastic waste caused by human completely ruin the sea life.

On the other hand, the environment itself getting worst by these problems. Lack of annual rainfall, extreme weather changes, floods and dry lands for agricultural, the poor source for irrigation and poor supply of portable water are their results.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the loss of species and acknowledging other environmental issues. However, the task requires a discussion of 'both these views' and your own opinion. While you state your opinion, the 'other' environmental problems are not clearly defined or discussed in depth; you merely mention them as a counter-argument without exploring why some might consider them more pressing. The ideas are somewhat repetitive, focusing heavily on the effects of deforestation and pollution rather than providing a balanced comparison of the two perspectives. To improve, ensure each viewpoint is given sufficient space and specific supporting arguments.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes disjointed. You use some cohesive devices like 'First of all', 'Additionally', and 'Moreover', but these are used in a somewhat mechanical way. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the final paragraph where 'their results' refers back to a list of problems that were not explicitly linked to the previous arguments. Improving the use of linking words to show logical relationships between sentences would enhance the flow and coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. You rely on basic terms like 'problems', 'bad', and 'lack of'. There are also some issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'built-up the society' and 'environment itself getting worst'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to environmental science, such as 'biodiversity', 'ecosystem degradation', or 'mitigation strategies', and ensure that words are used in their correct grammatical form.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include missing articles (e.g., 'in world', 'in sea'), subject-verb agreement errors (e.g., 'marine life is also effecting'), and awkward phrasing (e.g., 'results in lack of plants in environment'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for articles and verb forms.

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