Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-09

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)

Nowadays, environmental problems is increasing day by day. People believed that the main problems is extinction of plants and animals species. On the other hand, people believed that there are many other problems than extinction of plants and animals.

As for sustainable environments the plants and animals play vital roles and by extinction of plants and animals species it can create biodiversity disturbance. The main reasons for extinction was animals were killed by humans for their financial benefits and trees has been cut to build houses. Other reason was as there was increased in population the forest land has to destroy for building homes. By such reasons the plants came near to became an extinct which destroyed bio-cycle of nature.

On the other hand, people believed that there are many other issues which affects or create environmental problems such as climate change, pollution and rise in level of carbon dioxide and it should given priority than other problems. As people are creating pollution by throwing garbage on roads or streets which create many harmful diseases which can affect the people health. The other problems was increase in carbon as people are using product which create more carbon and increase the global temperature which result into climate changes.

In my opinion, both problems were harmful for environments as the extinction of plants and animals species can create major difference in bio-cycle, and other problems should also be considered as it affect global environments, increased in temperature of planet and it also harmful for people health.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses both views regarding environmental problems and provides a personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention biodiversity loss and climate change, the arguments lack depth and specific examples. For instance, the explanation of how biodiversity disturbance occurs is quite brief. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your points with more detailed reasoning or concrete illustrations. Your position is clear throughout, but the overall development is basic, which aligns with the Band 5 descriptor for task response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'the other problems was' or 'by such reasons'. The progression of ideas is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing, making the flow feel a bit disjointed. While there is an attempt to use linking words, they are not always used with the flexibility required for higher bands. Improving the variety of transition signals and ensuring smoother connections between sentences would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision needed for a higher score. You rely on simple, repetitive terms like 'problems', 'things', and 'create'. There are also some issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'biodiversity disturbance' and 'forest land has to destroy'. To improve, you should aim to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to environmental science and use more precise verbs and adjectives to express your ideas. Currently, the range is sufficient to communicate meaning, but it remains quite basic.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the essay, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'environmental problems is', 'people believed') and tense consistency (e.g., 'reasons for extinction was'). The sentence structures are mostly simple, and attempts at complex sentences often contain errors, such as 'By such reasons the plants came near to became an extinct'. These errors are noticeable and occasionally cause some difficulty for the reader. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring consistent verb tenses throughout your paragraphs.

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