Level: IELTS Academic Writing Task 2
Task type: Discuss both views and give your own opinion
Recommended time: 40 minutes
Word count: At least 250 words
Question
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Some people believe that zoos are important for protecting endangered animals, while others think that keeping animals in captivity is unacceptable.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
How to Write This Essay
This is a discuss both views and give your own opinion essay.
You need to do three things:
- explain why some people believe zoos are useful for conservation
- explain why others object to keeping wild animals in captivity
- give your own clear opinion
Do not simply write a list of advantages and disadvantages of zoos. The two views are more specific: conservation value versus the ethical problem of captivity.
Your opinion can support either side, or take a qualified position. For example, you could argue that zoos are acceptable only when they meet high standards of animal welfare and make a genuine contribution to conservation.
Your position should remain clear throughout the essay.
Suggested Essay Structure
One effective structure is:
Introduction
Paraphrase the debate and state your own opinion.
Body paragraph 1
Explain why supporters believe zoos can protect endangered species and educate the public.
Body paragraph 2
Explain the objections to captivity and evaluate whether these concerns change your overall position.
Conclusion
Summarise both sides briefly and restate your own view.
Other structures are possible, provided that both views are properly discussed and your opinion is clear.
Useful Vocabulary
- wildlife conservation
- endangered species
- captivity
- natural habitat
- animal welfare
- breeding programmes
- conservation projects
- biodiversity
- habitat destruction
- illegal hunting
- population decline
- conservation organisations
- enclosures
- natural behaviour
- ethical concerns
- wildlife protection
- threatened species
- public education
- species survival
- conservation efforts
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Writing generally about animals
Keep the essay focused on whether zoos contribute to conservation and whether keeping animals in captivity is acceptable.
Discussing only one view
The task specifically asks you to discuss both sides.
Forgetting your own opinion
This task requires you to discuss both views and give your own clear opinion.
Making extreme claims
Avoid statements such as “all zoos save animals” or “every animal in a zoo suffers”. Different zoos and different species may have very different conditions.
Assuming conservation automatically justifies captivity
You need to explain why conservation work matters and whether it is sufficient to justify keeping animals.
Giving undeveloped examples
Do not simply mention endangered animals or breeding programmes. Explain how the example supports your argument.
Changing your position
If you argue that well-managed zoos are acceptable in the introduction, maintain that position in the conclusion.
Using difficult vocabulary without clear reasoning
Precise explanation is more important than trying to sound unnecessarily academic.
Band 6.5 Model Answer
Some people believe that zoos are useful because they protect endangered animals and educate the public, while others think it is wrong to keep wild animals in captivity. In my opinion, zoos can be beneficial, but only if they give animals suitable living conditions and focus on conservation rather than entertainment.
One reason to support zoos is that they can help protect species that are at risk of disappearing. Some zoos take part in breeding programmes and work with conservation groups to increase animal numbers. They can also teach visitors about wildlife and environmental problems. For example, children may learn more about endangered species after seeing them and reading information about their natural habitats. This can make people more interested in protecting animals. Zoos may also provide money for conservation projects, although this depends on how each organisation is managed.
However, keeping wild animals in captivity can also cause problems. Animals may have less space than they would have in the wild, and some may not be able to behave naturally. This can affect their wellbeing, especially if the zoo is poorly designed or mainly interested in attracting visitors. Large animals may need more space than a zoo can realistically provide. For this reason, zoos should be expected to provide suitable enclosures, proper care and enough space for animals to move and behave normally.
In conclusion, I believe zoos can make a positive contribution to wildlife conservation and education. Nevertheless, they are only acceptable when animal welfare is treated as a priority and the main purpose is to protect species rather than simply entertain the public.
Word count: 266 words
Band 6.5 Feedback
This is a realistic Band 6.5 teaching model. It answers all parts of the question and uses accurate English, but the argument remains relatively straightforward.
Task Response
Both views are addressed clearly, and the writer gives a consistent opinion: zoos can be acceptable when conservation and animal welfare are genuine priorities.
The main ideas are relevant:
- breeding programmes can help endangered species
- zoos can educate visitors
- captivity can limit animals’ space and natural behaviour
- zoos should provide suitable conditions
The ideas are supported, but the development is moderate rather than extensive. For example, the essay says that breeding programmes can increase animal numbers, but it does not explore how this contributes to conservation outside zoos. Similarly, the discussion of captivity focuses mainly on space and natural behaviour without examining the ethical issue in much greater depth.
Coherence and Cohesion
The organisation is clear and predictable.
The introduction presents both sides and gives an opinion. The first body paragraph discusses the argument for zoos, while the second deals with the objections.
Cohesion is effective but conventional. Expressions such as “For example”, “However”, “For this reason” and “Nevertheless” make the relationships between ideas clear.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary is appropriate and accurate, including:
- endangered animals
- captivity
- breeding programmes
- conservation projects
- natural habitats
- animal welfare
- suitable enclosures
However, the lexical range is relatively narrow. Words such as animals, zoos, protect, space and conservation recur naturally throughout the answer.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The grammar is generally accurate, with some use of complex sentences:
“Animals may have less space than they would have in the wild, and some may not be able to behave naturally.”
and:
“Nevertheless, they are only acceptable when animal welfare is treated as a priority…”
However, most sentence structures are familiar and relatively straightforward.
What would improve it?
To move towards a higher band, the writer would need to develop the reasoning further.
For example:
- how do breeding programmes contribute to survival in the wild?
- are all species equally suitable for captivity?
- when does conservation genuinely justify keeping an animal?
- how can we distinguish a conservation-focused zoo from one mainly providing entertainment?
The main improvement would therefore be deeper evaluation and more precise development, not simply more difficult vocabulary.
Band 8 Model Answer
Whether zoos have a legitimate role in modern society is widely debated. Supporters argue that they contribute to conservation and public education, whereas critics believe that confining wild animals for human benefit is inherently unethical. In my view, zoos can be justified, but only when conservation and animal welfare take clear priority over entertainment.
The strongest argument in favour of zoos is that well-run institutions can support species that are threatened in the wild. Habitat destruction, illegal hunting and climate change have placed many animals under severe pressure, and carefully managed breeding programmes can help maintain genetically diverse populations. Zoos can also fund field projects and provide specialist knowledge to conservation organisations. Their educational role matters too. Seeing an endangered animal at close range may give visitors a stronger understanding of biodiversity than reading about it alone, particularly when exhibits explain the causes of population decline and the limits of captivity.
However, the ethical objections are substantial. Even a large enclosure cannot fully reproduce the territory, social structure or freedom that many wild animals would experience naturally. Species that travel long distances, hunt, migrate or live in complex groups may be particularly difficult to accommodate. Poorly managed zoos can therefore reduce animals to attractions while claiming a conservation purpose that is weak or symbolic. This distinction is important: keeping a common species in an unsuitable enclosure cannot automatically be defended simply because the institution calls itself a zoo.
Overall, I believe zoos should continue to exist, but their legitimacy should depend on strict standards. Institutions that participate in credible conservation work, provide environments suited to each species and educate the public responsibly can make a useful contribution. Those that cannot meet these requirements should not be protected by the general argument that all zoos support conservation.
Word count: 296 words
Band 8 Explanation
This response is stronger because it does more than present arguments for and against zoos. It evaluates the conditions under which the arguments are convincing.
Task Response
Both views are fully addressed, and the writer’s position is clear throughout.
The argument in favour of zoos develops from:
- threats to wild populations
- breeding programmes
- genetic diversity
- funding for conservation work
- public education
The opposing argument also moves beyond the simple statement that captivity is cruel. It considers whether zoos can reproduce:
- adequate territory
- natural social structures
- freedom of movement
- species-specific behaviour
The essay then evaluates the central issue: a zoo should not be considered valuable simply because it claims to support conservation.
That distinction makes the position more nuanced and fully developed.
Coherence and Cohesion
The essay progresses logically.
The first body paragraph develops the conservation case and explains why education may matter.
The second moves to the ethical objection and then distinguishes between genuine conservation work and captivity that is mainly justified through a weak conservation claim.
The conclusion follows directly from this reasoning by making the writer’s support for zoos conditional on strict standards.
The cohesion comes primarily from the progression of ideas rather than from frequent linking expressions.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary is precise and flexible:
- legitimate role
- confining wild animals
- inherently unethical
- threatened in the wild
- genetically diverse populations
- field projects
- biodiversity
- population decline
- ethical objections
- social structure
- conservation purpose
- credible conservation work
This vocabulary allows the writer to express more exact distinctions rather than simply making the essay sound more formal.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response uses a wide range of structures naturally:
“Supporters argue that they contribute to conservation and public education, whereas critics believe that…”
“Species that travel long distances, hunt, migrate or live in complex groups may be particularly difficult to accommodate.”
“Institutions that participate in credible conservation work, provide environments suited to each species and educate the public responsibly can make a useful contribution.”
These structures allow the writer to compare positions, qualify claims and develop more complex relationships between ideas.
Why is this stronger than the Band 6.5 model?
The Band 6.5 response essentially argues:
Zoos can protect animals and educate people, but captivity can restrict animals’ lives.
The Band 8 response goes further by asking:
- what kind of conservation work actually justifies captivity?
- how does a species’ natural behaviour affect whether zoo conditions are suitable?
- when is a conservation argument genuine and when is it merely symbolic?
- what standards should determine whether a zoo has a legitimate role?
This deeper evaluation is a major reason the second response is stronger.
Key Lesson for Students
For a discuss both views and give your own opinion essay, a high score depends on more than presenting one argument on each side.
You need:
clear discussion of both views + a consistent opinion + developed reasoning + precise language
Compare these two approaches:
Simple assertion:
Zoos help protect endangered animals.
Developed reasoning:
Well-managed zoos can maintain breeding populations of threatened species, which may help prevent their complete disappearance. However, this conservation argument is stronger when the institution also supports protection in the animals’ natural habitats rather than keeping them only for public display.
The second version is stronger because it explains:
- how zoos may contribute to conservation
- why that contribution matters
- what condition makes the argument more convincing
The improvement comes from reasoning, not simply from using more advanced vocabulary.
Useful Phrases
These are flexible language patterns rather than complete sentences to memorise.
Discussing conservation
- contribute to wildlife conservation
- protect threatened species
- support breeding programmes
- maintain animal populations
- fund conservation projects
- protect natural habitats
Discussing captivity
- kept in captivity
- restrict natural behaviour
- provide suitable living conditions
- reproduce natural habitats
- raise concerns about animal welfare
- lack sufficient space to…
Presenting both views
- supporters argue that…
- critics maintain that…
- the strongest argument in favour of…
- a major objection is…
- concerns about… are justified when…
Evaluating the issue
- the argument is stronger when…
- this does not automatically justify…
- the key distinction is between…
- acceptable provided that…
- depends largely on whether…
- should be judged according to…
Giving your opinion
- in my view…
- I would argue that…
- can be justified when…
- should only be permitted if…
- remain acceptable provided that…
Practice Task
Write your own answer to the original question:
Some people believe that zoos are important for protecting endangered animals, while others think that keeping animals in captivity is unacceptable.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Before writing:
- identify the strongest argument supporting zoos
- identify the strongest argument against captivity
- decide your own position
- choose two main ideas that allow you to explain that position clearly
For each main idea, think about:
- why the argument is convincing
- who or what is affected
- what the consequences are
- whether there are any important limitations or exceptions
Your opinion does not have to be completely for or against zoos, but it must be clear and consistent from the introduction to the conclusion.
