Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-14

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 whether the main environmental problem of our time is the loss of particular species of plants and animals, or there are more environmental problems, Although both views have their merits, I believe that there are way more environmental problems which were overlooked.

on the one hand some people believe that the main environmental problem of our time is the loss of particular species of plants and animals, this is becaus of the essential role that these two play in our environmental regime, such as preventing the environmental variation that based on strict rols, for example if we loss a particular plants that an animal rely on to servive then unavoidablely that animal is goin to exctinct, and the outcom of this can be beyond all the predections and it can even reach our food cyrcle.

on the other hand, other argue that there are more environmental problems, this is because all the recent problems that the world is suffering from recently such as the global warming the ozon whole, and the late increas of the world trash, for inctance there was a german study that says every german peoduce 7kg of trash daily, this can be considered as an enormous threat to our envorenmental system.

In conclusion, Although people believe that the main environmental problem of our time is the loss of particular plants and animals, I believe that there is more related problems that represent a real threat to our environment beside the loss of animals and plants.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both viewpoints and state your own position: you argue that broader environmental problems are more serious, while explaining how species loss can disrupt food chains. These points are relevant, but the discussion is brief and the supporting ideas are under-developed. For example, the claim that other problems pose a greater threat is supported mainly by a list—global warming, ozone depletion and waste—and a statistic about German rubbish, without explaining their effects or comparing their scale with biodiversity loss. Your conclusion repeats your view rather than adding a developed final insight. The response also contains 206 words, 44 below the 250-word minimum; 48 words copied from the task prompt were not counted. Develop each side with clearer explanations and specific, relevant examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, one paragraph for each viewpoint, and a conclusion. The signposts “on the one hand” and “on the other hand” help readers identify the two sides, and the position is repeated at the end. However, progression within the body paragraphs is limited: several claims are joined into long sentences, and the examples are not clearly separated from the explanations they are meant to support. The opening sentence also combines the two sides and the writer’s view in a way that is difficult to follow. Use clearer sentence boundaries, organise each paragraph around one main point, and connect examples explicitly to that point. This would make the organisation more consistent and reduce the reliance on basic linking phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some topic-related vocabulary, including “species,” “global warming,” “food cycle” and “environmental system,” so the reader can identify the subject and main ideas. However, the range is limited and several inaccurate or misspelled choices make parts difficult to understand, such as “environmental regime,” “ozon whole” and “late increas.” There are also repeated general terms such as “problems” and “threat,” where more precise language could explain the environmental impacts. Aim to learn accurate collocations and check spelling carefully; for instance, describe how biodiversity loss disrupts an ecosystem or how waste contributes to pollution. More precise vocabulary would help you express comparisons and consequences without relying on broad, repeated wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to express cause and consequence using structures such as “this is because” and “if … then,” and you include both simple statements and longer sentences. However, the range is limited, and complex sentences are often faulty or difficult to follow. For example, “if we loss a particular plants that an animal rely on” has problems with verb form, number and agreement, while “that animal is goin to exctinct” does not form the future construction correctly. Sentence boundaries and punctuation are also inconsistent, including the long opening sentence and the comma splice before “Although.” Practise building accurate sentences with one main clause and a clearly attached supporting clause, and check subject–verb agreement, articles, plurals and punctuation.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.