Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-07-29

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 6.5)

I have often noticed that in many countries around the world, citizens do not recycle their trash as much as they should. People must look into it, and they must come forward to protect the environment. In this essay, we will discuss my personal opinion and views on how we can change this.

To begin with, People nowadays are struggling with a busy and hectic schedule. They do not have enough time to take care of many important things, such as recycling rubbish. I have seen many people throwing away plastic that is reusable, but they do not want to. Citizens often sees throwing away plastic bottles and plastic wraps. It really looks awful and strange when you look up the walkways or areas surrounded by garbage. We will always notice trash thrown in nearby areas. For instance, at some places we have often noticed that there are fewer recycling plant and people are also not aware of this process. The government should assign some of the members and form a team that can go to every urban and rural city and organize a mock drill, which can help people to get familiar with the process.

On the other hand, the government should make some changes to the policy of schools and colleges. Every school and college must train students about the recycling process and organize some events regarding the issues, and should put on social media , newspapers, and TV advertisements. This is the best way to teach people who do not know the importance of recycling. Cities have to be strict regarding this because it will clearly affect the ozone layer and the environment. Governments should impose fines if they find someone not throwing the recyclable item into recycle bin.

In conclusion, the government has to be strict regarding this issue and also come up with strict rules so that people will strictly follow the rules and the environment will not be harmed. Birds, animals, and even humans can live longer if we do small things for the environment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for low recycling rates and potential solutions. The ideas are relevant, such as the lack of time and the need for government intervention. However, the development is somewhat superficial. For instance, the suggestion to 'organize a mock drill' is a bit vague and not fully explained in terms of how it would practically increase recycling rates. While the position is clear, the supporting arguments could be more detailed and analytical to reach a higher band. The conclusion is a bit repetitive, focusing more on the need for strict rules rather than summarizing the main points effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. There is a basic progression of ideas from the problem to the solutions. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. Phrases like 'To begin with' and 'On the other hand' are used correctly, but the internal flow between sentences within paragraphs is occasionally disjointed. For example, the transition from discussing busy schedules to the visual impact of littering is abrupt. Referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure would benefit from more sophisticated linking words to improve the flow between complex ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate their ideas clearly. There is some attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary such as 'recycling process', 'environment', and 'recyclable item'. However, the range is somewhat limited and repetitive. The student relies on basic phrasing, such as 'take care of many important things' and 'looks awful and strange'. There are also minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'fewer recycling plant' (should be plural) and 'urban and rural city' (which is slightly contradictory). More precise and varied vocabulary would enhance the quality of the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the accuracy of the writing. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues like 'Citizens often sees' and 'there are fewer recycling plant'. There are also punctuation errors, such as the unnecessary space before the comma in 'social media , newspapers'. While the student attempts complex sentences, they are not always error-free. The control over grammar is sufficient for communication, but the frequency of these minor errors prevents a higher score in this criterion.

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