Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-29

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)

While many people believe that the loss of particular trees and wildlife are the main reason of environmental causes, others argue that there are various other crucial factors that are contributing to environmental damages such as throwing waste into water, traffic congestion and many others.

On the one hand, loss of certain plants and animals are the major reason of environmental problems according to some people. However, there are some animals that provide many benefits to mankind. For example, a mouse eats different kinds of insects that are dangerous for plants. As a result, we can keep plants safe for a long time. But problem occurs when we diminish those animals. Moreover, there have been some trees that are truly beneficial for our environment as these plants keep air fresh and consume a lot of carbon-di-oxide as well that works as a barrier for environmental damages. But since it started declining, environmental problems begins to rise.

On the other hand, a different group of people consider other factors as the real reason of environmental causes. For instance, vehicle companies are producing a lot transport that are causing air pollution by throwing a lot of carbon on air. Besides, people are becoming accustomed to throwing waste into water that are causing water pollution as well. They believe that public ignorance are one of the main reason for environmentral damages.

In conclusion, I firmly believe that there are numerous factors that are contributing to environmental pollution alongside some loss of perticular species and plants.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both views and give a clear opinion in the conclusion: you recognise species loss as a concern while arguing that other forms of pollution also matter. The examples of animals protecting plants and trees absorbing carbon are relevant, as are vehicle emissions and waste in water. However, the discussion is only partly developed. The mouse example is quite narrow, and the explanation of how species loss affects the wider environment remains general. The second view lists several problems but does not compare their scale or explain why they may be more important than biodiversity loss. Develop each main point with a clearer cause-and-effect explanation and make your position more explicit in the introduction as well as the conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. The signposts “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the discussion. Ideas within the paragraphs generally progress from a claim to examples and consequences. However, some links are mechanical, and the relationship between points is not always clear. For example, “But problem occurs when we diminish those animals” does not fully explain the consequence of losing them, while “Moreover” introduces the tree point without developing the connection to the previous example. Use referencing and transitions more precisely, and organise each body paragraph around a central claim followed by explanation and evidence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of environmental vocabulary, including “wildlife,” “carbon dioxide,” “air pollution,” and “water pollution,” so the topic is clear. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “public ignorance” and “contributing to.” However, word choice and collocation are often inaccurate or repetitive: “environmental causes,” “environmental damages,” and “throwing a lot of carbon on air” do not express the intended ideas naturally. Spelling errors such as “environmentral” and “perticular” also reduce accuracy. Build a more precise set of topic-specific collocations and check word forms and spelling; for example, distinguish environmental problems from their causes and describe emissions as being released into the atmosphere.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “that,” “as,” and “since,” and most of the meaning remains understandable. However, agreement and verb-form errors recur: “loss … are,” “problem begins to rise,” and “public ignorance are” should follow the number of their subjects. There are also errors in articles and sentence construction, as in “But problem occurs,” and in “a lot transport that are causing,” where the noun phrase and agreement are not controlled. These patterns make some sentences less fluent, even though the overall message can be followed. Practise checking each sentence’s subject and verb, and revise complex sentences to ensure that clauses are complete and correctly connected.

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