Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-08-13

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 6.0)

The topic of people recycling their wastes is not adequate in some countries is catching some global attention. Primary reason is their mindset and awareness by local government, but making some changes and educating people would benefit whole ecosystem.

First of all, people do not have willingness to do some extra work as they would not be rewarded for such actions. Government could modify some rules and make it stricter for people who do not follow them and fine heavily if needed, but also return something if everything is followed. For example, in Canada, Beer Store return some monetary value in credit when people recycle cans and bottles. This creates a mindset to get some money in order to get more products in exchange.

In this younger generation's mindset we notice that they are not worried about global environmental issues, which is harming our ecosystem at an alarming rate and could destroy it for future generations. To counter this mindset, schools should make students aware about this issues from young age, that they start implementing measures as they start growing up. Moreover, school's can encourage students to start dividing waste and recycle, to educate them about these practices in real life. For instance, school's can implement two bins waste and recycle and leave a sign about what goes in which bin, every time students throw any waste they check these signs.

In conclusion, I would say people can change their mindset if they are well educated on these issues before things turn worse and along the side governments start taking some actions to resolve them.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

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 financial incentive and the need for educational reform. However, the development is somewhat uneven. The first paragraph is quite brief and lacks a clear thesis statement. While the example of the 'Beer Store' in Canada is effective, the discussion on the younger generation is a bit generalized. To reach a higher band, you should ensure that each point is fully extended with more detailed explanations of how these solutions would specifically lead to a change in behavior.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. There is a basic progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'along the side' in the conclusion. Referencing is generally clear, but some transitions between sentences feel abrupt. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that the relationship between sentences is more fluid would enhance the overall flow of the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the message to be conveyed clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'ecosystem', 'monetary value', and 'implementing measures'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and minor collocation errors, such as 'not adequate in some countries' (referring to the topic rather than the practice) and 'do not have willingness'. The range is sufficient for the task, but more sophisticated or idiomatic expressions would be needed to reach a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is usually clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the' ecosystem, 'the' younger generation), pluralization ('school's' instead of 'schools'), and verb forms ('Beer Store return' instead of 'returns'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some awkward phrasings that slightly hinder the natural flow of the text. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct usage of articles.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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