Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-10

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)

Plants and animals play an important to maintain the environmental concerns. It is often argued by some people that plants and animals play a significant role in terms of food chain. Meanwhile, others argue that there are some climate changes affect the whole planet. However, I believe that environmental problems are more important.

On the one hand, the supporters of particular species of plants and animals should be responsible for some reasons. As when one species of plant and animal disappears, it can affect the animal that depend on it for food or survival. Take an example of North America, in 2001, after the cutting of some plants in forest for some reasons, there was a great starvation for those species who completely depend on them. Thus, indeed these play an important role in this regard.

While on the other hand, the advocates of climate crisis are also important for some issues. As global warming causes higher temperatures, melting ice, extreme weather, and rising sea levels, which can affect millions of people and animals. For instance, in North Africa, is expected that due the depletion of ozone layer and global warming would be the main problem for flood and some other problems in upcoming years. Hence, environmental concerns are important in this respect.

However, I believe that climatic conditions are more important for these problems. As polluted air can cause breathing problems for humans, while dirty water can cause diseases and harm the aquatic life as well.

To sum up, I believe that vanish of particular species is important but environmental challenges are more important for some issues.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides an opinion, meeting the basic requirements of the task. However, the development of ideas is limited. The arguments regarding biodiversity loss and climate change are somewhat superficial and lack depth. For instance, the example regarding North America is vague and lacks specific context. Furthermore, the student's own opinion is somewhat contradictory; the introduction suggests environmental problems are more important, but the conclusion states that the loss of species is important while environmental challenges are more important, without clearly reconciling these points. To improve, the student should provide more detailed explanations and concrete examples to support their claims.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. There is an attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'While on the other hand', and 'To sum up'. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical and occasionally inaccurate, such as the transition 'While on the other hand, the advocates of climate crisis are also important for some issues', which does not logically connect to the previous paragraph. Additionally, the referencing is sometimes unclear, and the progression of ideas within paragraphs is disjointed. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words would enhance the flow of the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There is a reliance on basic terms like 'important', 'problems', and 'things'. Some word choices are awkward or incorrect, such as 'vanish of particular species' (should be 'the extinction of species') and 'due the depletion' (missing 'to'). The student attempts to use some topic-specific vocabulary like 'global warming', 'ozone layer', and 'aquatic life', but the overall range is limited. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on using more sophisticated collocations and precise terminology related to environmental science.

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. Examples include 'Plants and animals play an important to maintain the environmental concerns' (incorrect structure) and 'in North Africa, is expected that due the depletion...' (missing subject and preposition). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are issues with sentence boundaries and article usage. While the student attempts complex sentences, they are often faulty. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions would significantly improve the accuracy of the writing.

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