Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-30

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)

In today's world, some people believe that major aspect to environmental problem is loss of particular species of plants and animals, however heir view overlooks by others who think that there are more crucial environmental problems. I strongly believe that adverse environmental problems are there to consider. This essay will discuss both the views.

It is claimed that the reason behind the environmental problem of our time is loss of plants and animals. Every species plays a crucial role in the ecosystem, decline of some species and affect our environment like, decline in the bees population can severely reduce pollination, it could result in loss of agricultural products, similarly loss of potential resources can also happen with certain plants giving properties of medicine and herbal treatment , their extinction could limit opportunities of developing future medicines

On the other hand, there are several environmental problems more considerable as climate change is the most common and determined problem, rising global temperatures cause extreme weather conditions such as, droughts, floods, heatwaves which threaten human lives and animals. Moreover, severe other problems related to air and water pollution. Industrial emissions and vehicle exhaust release poisonous gases which is detrimental to the climate. Contaminated water can cause health problems, spreading diseases and may result in loss of lives. In addition deforestation is one of the biiggest threat to environment, cutting of tress results in loss of carbon dioxide levels and natural habitats. Future generation may face difficulty due to such problems.

In conclusion, there are various ecological problems such as air and water pollution which is affecting health and has put people lives on stakes, considering that is more advantageous.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views: the first body paragraph explains how species loss can disrupt pollination and limit potential medicinal resources, while the next discusses climate change, pollution and deforestation. Your position is present in the introduction, but “adverse environmental problems are there to consider” is unclear, and the conclusion does not clearly restate which view you consider more important; “considering that is more advantageous” is especially difficult to interpret. Several points are relevant but briefly explained, and the discussion of species loss could be developed with a clearer explanation of its wider environmental consequences. To strengthen the response, state your opinion precisely and support each main point with a fuller explanation or example. The response meets the task’s length requirement; eight words copied from the prompt were not counted.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views and a conclusion. Connectors such as “On the other hand,” “Moreover” and “In addition” help signal shifts between ideas. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow: the first body paragraph joins several claims in a long, loosely connected sentence, and the second moves rapidly from climate change to pollution and deforestation. Some linking is mechanical, and the conclusion does not clearly connect back to the position stated in the introduction. Use clearer topic sentences, divide related points into manageable sentences, and make the relationship between each example and its main claim explicit. This would create a more consistent line of development.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant environmental vocabulary, including “ecosystem,” “pollination,” “extinction,” “climate change,” “contaminated water” and “deforestation.” These terms show an attempt to discuss the topic specifically. However, the range is uneven, and several inaccurate or awkward choices make meaning less clear, such as “major aspect to environmental problem,” “determined problem,” “loss of carbon dioxide levels” and “people lives on stakes.” There are also spelling errors, including “biiggest” and “tress.” Aim for accurate collocations and check spelling carefully; for example, describe climate change as a “major environmental challenge” and say that deforestation “reduces carbon absorption” or “destroys natural habitats.” More precise phrasing would make your ideas easier to understand.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “which,” “as” and “giving,” and you use examples to extend your points. However, complex sentences are often faulty or run together, so grammatical errors sometimes make the argument difficult to follow. For instance, “Every species plays a crucial role in the ecosystem, decline of some species and affect our environment” lacks a clear grammatical connection between its clauses. Other examples include “which is detrimental” after plural “emissions and vehicle exhaust,” and “there are various ecological problems … which is affecting health,” where agreement is unclear. Review sentence boundaries, subject–verb agreement, articles and plural forms. Building accurate shorter sentences before combining them will improve control.

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.