Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-21

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)

People have different views about environmental degradation. Some people believe that it is because of the extinction of plants and animals, while others believe that there are some other severe reasons behind this. I agree with the view that some other environmental problems, like industrial waste and the usage of vehicles emitting carbon dioxide, are more prominent issues compared to the extinction of species.

Firstly, the rapid increase in population increases the need for homes, due to which many forests are being cut down, causing the extinction of plants and animals that feed on those. For instance, it is reported that even the largest forest, named Amazon, is now becoming smaller compared to the past. If this type of forest becomes extinct in the future, the death ratio and environmental issues will increase in the near future. Secondly, many animals that help in reducing environmental issues are being reduced every year; for example, penguins are now rarely found in northern regions.

However, I would argue that there are various other factors that are making the environment polluted, and one worth mentioning is the discharge of carbon dioxide from vehicles. Due to an increase in traffic, it is becoming difficult to control such emissions, resulting in hotter weather compared to the past. In addition to that, the ozone layer is becoming thinner day by day due to the burning of industrial waste. In my viewpoint, this is the major reason for enhancing environmental problems today.

In conclusion, although it is a common belief that due to the reduction in plant and animal species, a lot of environmental issues are being noticed, I personally believe that issues like the increase in carbon dioxide and industries are more notable.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views on environmental problems and clearly stating a personal opinion. The writer establishes a position in the introduction and maintains it throughout the essay. Ideas are generally relevant, such as discussing deforestation and vehicle emissions. However, the development of ideas leans towards over-generalisation and lacks deep extension. For instance, the argument about penguins in northern regions is factually inaccurate (penguins are native to the Southern Hemisphere), which detracts slightly from the credibility of the examples. Nevertheless, the main tasks are covered satisfactorily, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptor for addressing all parts of the task with relevant, if somewhat under-developed, ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from introduction to body paragraphs and a concluding summary. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each body paragraph focusing on a distinct viewpoint. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'However', and 'In conclusion' are employed to guide the reader through the text, though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. Referencing is generally clear, such as using 'this is the major reason' to link back to industrial waste and vehicle emissions. While the flow is adequate for a Band 6, more flexible and varied cohesive ties would be required to reach a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully communicating the student's ideas. The writer attempts some less common lexical items and collocations, such as 'environmental degradation', 'industrial waste', and 'discharge of carbon dioxide'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'death ratio' instead of 'death rate' or 'mortality rate', and 'enhancing environmental problems' instead of 'exacerbating' or 'worsening' environmental problems. Spelling and word formation are generally accurate, and communication is never impeded. This fits the Band 6 profile, where the vocabulary is sufficient for the task despite some inappropriate word choices.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional structures such as 'If this type of forest becomes extinct in the future...'. There is good control over basic sentence structures, and punctuation is generally handled well. However, some grammatical inaccuracies and awkward phrasings appear, such as 'the usage of vehicles emitting carbon dioxide' and 'animals that help in reducing environmental issues are being reduced every year' (where 'reduced' is used repetitively and unnaturally for animal populations). Despite these errors, they rarely impede communication, allowing the writer to secure a solid Band 6 for grammar.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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