Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-22
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 5.0)
In this contemporary era, it is often argued that the primary cause of environment is loosing of particular species of plants and animals, while opponent thinks that other than loosing species there are more important issues are there. However, this essay will scrutinize both the perspective along with my firm consideration that the main cause of environment problems is global warming.
The supporter of former opinion believe that the main environment issue is loosing some rare species and animals because it disturb the food chain. To detail it out, plants are called the main producer which then eaten by herbivore animals for nutrition and they are eaten by wild animals and the food chain continuous and loosing any of the source means disturbing the ecosystem and problems for environment begins. For instance, grass is eaten by grasshoppers, which are then eaten by frogs and snakes. This shows how different species depend on one another for food and survival.
However, others believe the primary cause is global warming. To put it in other words, the reason for continuous increasing in global warming is burning fossil fuels for transportation
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum length requirement, containing only 187 words against the required 250 words, which severely impacts task completion. Furthermore, the essay is incomplete, abruptly cutting off mid-sentence in the second body paragraph ("...burning fossil fuels for transportation"). While the writer attempts to discuss both views regarding environmental problems and mentions a personal opinion in the introduction, the ideas remain very underdeveloped due to the truncation. Because of the significant under-length and incomplete nature of the response, it can only be awarded a band score of 4.0 under the task achievement descriptor.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay demonstrates some basic structural organisation with an introduction and two body paragraphs, although the second body paragraph is incomplete. Cohesive devices such as "However", "To detail it out", and "For instance" are attempted, but their usage is sometimes mechanical or awkward ("To detail it out"). Paragraphing is visually present, but the abrupt ending hinders overall progression. Referencing is generally clear, but the lack of a concluding paragraph and the truncated structure limit the overall coherence of the piece, aligning with a band 5.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is limited and repetitive. The student uses basic terms like "environmental problem", "plants and animals", and "global warming". There are several word choice and collocation errors, such as "cause of environment" instead of "environmental cause", and the repeated misuse of "loosing" instead of "losing". Less common lexical items are attempted ("scrutinize", "ecosystem", "herbivore"), but inaccuracies persist throughout the text. Overall, the lexical range is minimally adequate for basic communication, corresponding to a band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control is weak. There are frequent grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ("opponent thinks that... more important issues are there", "The supporter of former opinion believe"), missing articles, and awkward phrasing ("firm consideration that"). Because the text is very short and cuts off abruptly, complex structures are often faulty. The frequency of errors causes some difficulty for the reader, fitting the descriptors for band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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