Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-07-25

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In many countries, people do not recycle their rubbish as much as they could.

Why do you think this is?

What can be done to change this?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 7.0)

It is often argued that numerous countries are not following the recycling practice as much as they could. The primary driver behind this case is a lack of environmental knowledge in this modern society. The government and individuals play a vital role in minimising this problem. This essay will discuss the reasons behind this issue before examining the mitigation strategies.

One of the major reasons why people are not recycling as much as they could is due to the lack of environmental awareness. This is because in fast-paced era, people are increasingly shifting their focus to pursue their goals, while neglecting environmental practices which are essential for long-term survival. Many youngsters, for example, working in large organisations occupied themselves with workplace tasks and are often unaware about recycling practices, which they can perform while working. As a result, due to this unawareness people and industries often dispose of waste without knowing the severe consequences, which directly leads to global pollution such as soil, marine and air pollution. Hence, it is vividly clear that the greater the environmental awareness, the lower the pollution level which helps to protect the ecosystem.

To combat this problem, governments and individuals plays a significant role by introducing proactive measures to encourage recycling. If government introduces campaigns with environmental theme, it would not only spread awareness among citizens but also influence people to follow recycling patterns, which will positively impact the environment. In addition, people should perform smart recycling practices in their own lives such as disposing plastic containers in appropriate bins instead of disposing in the landfills. Consequently, these approaches will significantly leads to healthier environment. Therefore, it is elaborated that with the government and citizens initiatives, global pollution will be protected to greater extent.

In conclusion, although in many countries citizens recycling practices are not performed consciously as much as they could, higher authorities and individuals can significantly improve this issues by introducing environmental campaigns and following simple environmental practices. This approach will not only protect the ecosystem but also ameliorate the standards of living.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for low recycling rates and potential solutions. The position is clear throughout, and the ideas are relevant. The development is generally good, though some points, such as the specific mention of 'youngsters working in large organisations', are slightly narrow in scope. The essay provides a logical flow from the problem to the solution. To reach a higher band, ensure that the solutions are linked more explicitly to the specific reasons provided, and consider expanding on the 'how' of the government initiatives to provide more depth.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organised with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the two main ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'As a result', 'In addition', and 'Consequently' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there is occasional repetition of phrasing. The progression of ideas is generally smooth, and the central topic of each paragraph is well-maintained throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the message clearly and with some precision. You use topic-specific terms like 'mitigation strategies', 'proactive measures', and 'ecosystem'. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'following the recycling practice' instead of 'recycling' or 'participating in recycling programs', and 'ameliorate the standards of living', which is slightly awkward in this context. However, the range is adequate for the task, and the errors do not impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While there is a good attempt at complex sentences, there are recurring grammatical errors. For example, subject-verb agreement issues occur, such as 'governments and individuals plays' (should be 'play') and 'these approaches will significantly leads' (should be 'lead'). Additionally, there are minor errors with articles and prepositions, such as 'in fast-paced era' (should be 'in a fast-paced era'). Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear, and the punctuation is generally accurate.

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