Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-18

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)

Many people believe that the extinction of many species of plants and animals is the main problem to the environment while many believe that there are many other issues which are related to the environment. I believe pollution is caused by human activities which results in environmental pollution

Firstly, many species of plants and animals has been extinct due to numerous reasons. One of the main reason is Deforestation, which is is done by human in order to construct buildings and multinational comapanies. Due to that, a plethora of birds had lost their habitat and eventually are on the brink of extinction. For instance - A native parrot kukua from Newzealand , had been extinct because of the arrival of Dutch as they used their feathers to make cloaks and their meat was delicious and nutritious. Therefore , it was extinct and now the government is trying hard to bring it back because it was very helpful to plant trees. As ,this parrot cannot fly, therefore the fruit that they ate it and throw the seeds on the ground which results in getting more trees.

Secondly, industries are also a major threat to environment because the smoke coming out from them, pollultes air and and the waste is dump directly into the rivers. Additionally, it effects the Flora and Fauna and results in depletion of aquatic life. For example - In a recent study it has been found that in major cities like Delhi,Tokyo the air qauality index high and it feels like to inhale nearly 14 cigratees to breath in there. Therefore, it is not only harming environment but it has adverse effects on human health as well.

In conclusion , there are many factors which are causing environmental pollution which includes loss of specific plants and animals and many other human activities which they usually do to fulfill their needs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the view that species loss is the primary environmental problem and the alternative view that other issues are more pressing, while also providing a personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and uneven. The introduction briefly states an opinion on pollution, and the body paragraphs touch on deforestation, species extinction, and industrial pollution. While examples are given, such as the mention of the native parrot kukua and Delhi's air quality, some points are under-developed or contain inaccuracies (e.g., historical details about the parrot). The conclusion merely restates that there are multiple factors causing pollution rather than thoroughly synthesizing the two views presented in the prompt. Overall, the task is addressed, but the depth of argument aligns more closely with a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay displays a generally coherent overall arrangement with basic paragraphing used to separate main ideas. Transitional markers such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'For instance', and 'In conclusion' are utilized to structure the response. However, cohesion is at times mechanical or faulty. For instance, the transition into the thesis statement in the introduction is abrupt and confusingly phrased ('I believe pollution is caused by human activities which results in environmental pollution'). Additionally, referencing and logical progression occasionally falter, such as the repetitive use of 'therefore' and awkward sentence connectors within the body paragraphs. Paragraphing is present, but internal cohesion within paragraphs needs smoother transitions. These features place the response at a Band 5.5 to 6.0, best represented by a 6.0 for managing overall structure despite mechanical elements.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'plethora', 'extinction', 'depletion', and 'Flora and Fauna'. However, there are numerous word choice, spelling, and collocation errors throughout the text. Examples include 'has been extinct' instead of 'have become extinct', 'comapanies', 'pollultes', 'qauality', and 'cigratees'. Furthermore, awkward phrasing such as 'native parrot kukua from Newzealand' and 'it feels like to inhale nearly 14 cigratees to breath in there' detracts from precision. While communication is not severely impeded, the frequency of lexical errors prevents the score from reaching a higher band, making a Band 5.5 appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting relative clauses and conditional-style reasoning. However, grammatical accuracy is weak, with frequent errors in subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'many species of plants and animals has been extinct', 'One of the main reason is'), punctuation, and article usage. There are also issues with run-on sentences and confusing structural cohesion, such as 'As, this parrot cannot fly, therefore the fruit that they ate it and throw the seeds on the ground which results in getting more trees.' Punctuation errors, including unnecessary spaces before commas and missing apostrophes, are common. Because errors are frequent and occasionally cause difficulty for the reader, the grammar aligns with a Band 5.0.

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