Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-08-14

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)

Waste management is an essential system required to care for our environment. With growing population, the consumption of packaged products has increased drastically. These packaged products comes in convenient packaging made of plastics and papers. After using a certain product, people usually throw its packaging in garbage and move on in their regular lives. But nobody knows what happens to their garbage.

Once the garbage is picked up, it usually should taken to a dumping house where different types of garbage are separated. This helps in its proper disposal and recycle to make new products. Some countries follow this protocol to manage their waste materials, but many of them do not and dump everything with no separation. This could be due to lack of awareness among the people and and no strict laws imposed by government on waste management. As a result of this improper disposal, many countries are infested with pollution in their soil, water and air.

Recycling is an efficient way to solve this problem. Products like plastics, paper and glasses can be turned into raw materials which could be used for building other useful products. Garbage cans can be divided into recyclables and garbage at public places to rise awareness among the people. The government can also promote this by rewarding households for their contribution in waste management.

The most necessary step to promote recycling is by rising awareness among people about the harmful effects of improper waste disposal and how recycling becomes a need to keep the environment clean and safe.

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 government regulation and the need for public awareness. However, the development is somewhat limited. For instance, the suggestion to 'reward households' is mentioned but not explained in detail. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your points with more specific examples or deeper analysis. The position is clear throughout, but the overall depth of the argument remains at a basic level, which is characteristic of a Band 6 performance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect of the prompt. There is a clear progression of ideas from the problem to the causes and finally to the solutions. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. For example, the transition between sentences often relies on simple structures. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the flow between ideas could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and phrases to create a more natural and sophisticated connection between your arguments.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'waste management,' 'disposal,' and 'raw materials' correctly. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances where word choice could be more precise. For example, 'dumping house' is not standard terminology; 'landfill' or 'waste processing facility' would be more appropriate. Additionally, there is some repetition of basic words. To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific collocations and avoid repeating the same vocabulary within short intervals.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For example, 'packaged products comes' (subject-verb agreement error), 'should taken' (missing auxiliary verb), and 'rise awareness' (should be 'raise'). These errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct formation of passive voice structures, and ensure you proofread your work to catch these minor slips.

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

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