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)

Basically the main enviornmental problem of our time is both the loss of particular species of plants and animals and enviornmental problems. Both of these contribute the same effects on our enviornmnet .As humans we should balance both of these to get rid of enviornmental problems.

We lost more plant and animal species due to human negligence which would help to control the enviornment . For example earth worms which are very much helpful to farmers and plants in holding soil together and eating unnecessary insects which will harm the trees without these the trees roots are getting damaged which will kill the trees. Major tree species which helped to control the waves and clouds are either cutted for expansion of cities or mining which affects the climate causing global warming other major health problems to people and animals.

There is another more important enviornmental problems like increase in global temparatures causing glaciers to melt which will result in heavy and unexpected floods causing severe damage.Due to heavy deforestation we are now seeing the greatest drought ever known to humans known as EL-NINO. There are other enviornmental problems like ozone layer depletion and rise in temperatures in seas .Both of these plays an important role in heavy rainfalls and floods causing more damage to nature.

In my opinion both of these cause the same amount of damage to enviornment. As humans we should take more precautions to handle these enviornmental problems.We should take more steps towards saving the plant and animals species more seriously because they are easy to handle and by saving these we can control other enviornmental problems too.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views by discussing species loss and wider environmental threats, and your final paragraph gives a position: both are damaging, while protecting species may also help address other problems. The earthworm and deforestation examples are relevant attempts to support your points. However, the discussion is only partly developed: the first paragraph says the problems have “the same effects” without explaining the comparison, and the claims about trees controlling “waves and clouds” and deforestation causing El Niño need clarification or reliable support. Your opinion is present but not consistently explained across the response. Develop each view with a clear cause-and-effect explanation and make the relationship between biodiversity loss and broader environmental problems more precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a concluding opinion. This helps the reader identify the main stages of your answer. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow because several claims are joined together without clear links. For example, the paragraph about species moves from earthworms to tree roots, then to city expansion and climate change in one extended sequence. Connect each example explicitly to the point it supports, and use clearer transitions between related ideas. Some linking phrases, such as “There are other environmental problems,” are repetitive; more precise signposting would make the argument easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “species,” “deforestation,” “glaciers,” “ozone layer depletion” and “global temperatures,” which allows you to discuss environmental issues. However, the range is limited and several spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable, including repeated misspellings of “environmental” and “environment,” as well as “temparatures.” Some expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “unnecessary insects,” “the greatest drought ever known to humans,” and “same amount of damage.” These choices sometimes make the intended meaning less clear. Build a more accurate set of environmental collocations and check spelling carefully; precise terms will help you explain causes and consequences more convincingly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including cause-and-effect structures with “which” and “causing.” However, complex sentences are often difficult to control, and errors in sentence boundaries, agreement and verb forms occur frequently. For example, “Both of these plays” should use a plural verb, while “trees roots are getting damaged” needs a possessive form and a clearer tense. The opening also joins sentences incorrectly: “...environmental problems. Both of these...” needs consistent punctuation and spacing. Several long sentences contain multiple ideas without clear grammatical links, which can make the meaning hard to follow. Practise building accurate sentences around one main idea, then add subordinate clauses and check agreement and punctuation.

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