Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-17

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 argued that the disappearance of rare species of plants and animals is the most alarming environmental problem that the world is facing right now. It is true that losing such precious elements of the earth is concerning but it is also said that there are more significant environmental issues that should be addressed and I completely agree with this statement, like the unhealthy effect of UV rays on humans and its surroundings.

First of the all, the world is watching a decline in many of its beloved species. Animals or plants, but aniaml lives are highly at risk by poachers rather than the the climate. That's why several organizations have taken initiative to protect and rescue such species of animals. For instance, the white rhino which are very endangered species of rhino, one or two left in the entire world is intensively protected by authorities from hunters and poachers. Though, different kinds of plants are facing difficulties to survive in their own habitat because of extreme heat or lack of water. For example, the sea grasses of maldives are all eroded under the sea because of extreme levels of heat explosure.

Secondly, because of the amount of cardon emmissions in the world, the ozone layer protecting us from the harmful rays of the sun are thinning day by day. If this is not recovered within time the world might witness devastating results for humans. For example, extreme explosure to UV rays may lead to skin cancer and this is already resultng in a high percentage for humans right now. So the deteriorating climate has equally detrimantal effect on humans as well.

In conclusion, there is no question that one of the most improtant environmental problems are concerned around plants and animals but humans need equal adjustment for a stable life as well because it is hindering their daily lives as well.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—the loss of species and other broader environmental issues—and clearly presents the writer's own opinion in the introduction ("I completely agree with this statement"). The main ideas are relevant and supported with examples, such as the white rhino and sea grasses in the first body paragraph, and ozone depletion and UV rays in the second. However, some arguments lack full extension and the conclusion slightly misrepresents the prompt's focus by framing the second view around human comfort rather than broader ecological crises. Overall, the task is adequately fulfilled, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptors where all parts are addressed and relevant ideas are presented, though some development is slightly limited.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear paragraph structure, moving logically from introduction to body paragraphs discussing opposing views, and finally to a conclusion. Cohesive devices are employed to link ideas, such as "First of the all", "For instance", "Secondly", and "In conclusion". However, some referencing is slightly faulty or mechanical, and transition phrases contain awkward phrasing (e.g., "First of the all"). Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, but logical progression within paragraphs occasionally falters due to abrupt shifts between plants, animals, and human health issues. These features place the response firmly at Band 6, where the arrangement is coherent overall, but cohesion and referencing show noticeable flaws.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as "alarming", "poachers", "intensive", and "detrimental". However, there are noticeable spelling and word-choice errors that occur throughout the text, including "aniaml", "cardon", "emmissions", "explosure", "resultng", and "detrimantal". Despite these inaccuracies, communication is not impeded, and the meaning remains clear. The variety of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended message, but the frequency of spelling slips and minor collocation issues prevents the score from reaching a higher band. This performance corresponds to Band 6, characterised by an adequate vocabulary range and some errors that do not hinder understanding.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some ambition with conditional and relative clauses (e.g., "If this is not recovered within time the world might witness..."). However, there is a recurring presence of grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as punctuation issues, missing articles (e.g., "one or two left in the entire world"), and subject-verb agreement slips (e.g., "the most improtant environmental problems are concerned"). These errors occur with some frequency, yet they rarely impede overall communication. Because the response features a workable mix of structures alongside noticeable grammatical flaws that do not block comprehension, it meets the criteria for Band 6.

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