Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-29
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)
Some people these days state that environmental issues at the present time are due to the extinction of particular plants and animals, while others say that there are many other main reasons. In my opinion, the loss of some plants and animals is not the only reason for environmental problems ;there are many more reasons apart from this, such as pollution and deforestation.
Nowadays, depletion of specific plants and animals has contributed to environmental challenges in many ways. There's a food chain in which everyone is dependent on each other. Therefore, if one plant or animal is lost, it will destroy all the food chain, which impacts the environment. This creates irregularity in nature and becomes worse afterwards. For instance, sheep are dependent on grass; if there's no grass, the population of sheep will fall.
On the other hand, a shortfall of plants and animals is not the only reason in this case. There is a dramatic increase in pollution everywhere, whether it might be related to water, air or noise. Many big industrialists nowadays cut down forests for constructing factories and big buildings, which causes environmental loss. This leads to the loss of many animals and also causes many wild animals to travel to human habitations and builds fear in their lives. Moreover, industrial waste is directly released into water bodies, causing water pollution and becoming a reason for the loss of water animals.
In conclusion, some people argue that the decline of various plants and animals is the reason for environmental issues, whereas some others think that there are many other reasons. To sum up, the loss of plants and animals together with pollution and many other causes leads to nature loss.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views on whether the loss of specific species is the main environmental issue and provides a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. Ideas are supported with relevant examples, such as the relationship between sheep and grass, and the impacts of industrialization and deforestation. However, the development of ideas in some areas remains somewhat basic and general, preventing it from reaching the higher bands. For instance, the explanation of the food chain could be extended with more sophisticated illustrations. Overall, the prompt is adequately covered, demonstrating a clear position throughout, which aligns well with the Band 6.0 descriptors.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introductory paragraph, body paragraphs addressing each viewpoint, and a summarizing conclusion. Logical organization is generally maintained, and cohesive devices are employed to connect ideas, such as 'Therefore', 'On the other hand', and 'Moreover'. However, paragraphing and referencing can occasionally feel somewhat mechanical or repetitive, particularly in the concluding section where phrases like 'To sum up' are somewhat redundant following the initial introductory wrap-up sentence. Cohesion is functional and serves the reader well, securing a solid Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terms such as 'extinction', 'deforestation', 'industrial waste', and 'habitations'. There are some attempts to use less common vocabulary, but word choices and collocations occasionally show awkwardness or slight inaccuracy, such as 'nature loss' instead of 'environmental degradation' or 'biodiversity loss', and 'builds fear in their lives'. Spelling and word formation are generally accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede communication, placing the response firmly at Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional structures like 'if one plant or animal is lost, it will destroy all the food chain'. There are several grammatical errors and punctuation issues throughout the text, including a missing space before a semicolon in the first paragraph ('...environmental problems ;there are...'), articles missing or misused ('the food chain' vs 'all the food chain'), and slight structural awkwardness in sentences like 'whether it might be related to water, air or noise'. Nonetheless, these errors rarely impede communication, allowing the essay to achieve a Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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