Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-08-15

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)

many countries are facing difficulties in encouraging people to recycle their waste. although recycling is widely recognized as an effective way to protect the environment. a large proportion of rubbish still ends up in the landfills. this essay will discuss the reasons behind this problem and suggest possible solutions.

one of the main reason people do not recycle as much as they could is lack of awareness. many individuals are not fully informed about the environmental benefits of recycling or the consequences of excessive waste. as a result they may not consider recycling an important part of their daily lives. another significant reason is inconvenience. in some area, recycling facilities are limited and residence travel considerable distance to dispose of recyclable materials. when recycling require extra time and effort , many people choose the easier option of throwing everything into a general waste bin.

in addition, some people think that their individual actions have little impacts on the environment. this attitude can reduce motivation to recycle regularly. for example. if citizen think that the waste management is solely the government responsibility, they may be less willing to participate in recycling programs.

Several measure can be taken to address this issue. firstly, government should invest in public education campaigns to raise awareness about importance of recycling. schools can also play a major role by teaching children about the importance of recycling.such measure have been sucessful in encouraging environmentally responsible behavior in many communities.

in conclusion, low recycling rates are mainly caused by lack of awareness, inconvenience and poor public motivation. however through education, improved infrastructure and effective government policies , people can be encourged to recycle.

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 and logically grouped into paragraphs. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, while you mention 'inconvenience' and 'lack of awareness', the explanation could be strengthened by providing more specific, real-world examples beyond general statements. The position is clear throughout, but to reach a higher band, you should aim to extend your arguments with more depth and nuance. Overall, the task is fulfilled, but the support for your points remains at a fairly basic level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme. You use cohesive devices such as 'in addition', 'firstly', and 'however' to link ideas. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and there are instances where the flow between sentences could be smoother. Additionally, the paragraphing is generally appropriate, but the transition between the reasons and the solutions could be more sophisticated. The referencing is clear, but the overall progression of ideas would benefit from more varied cohesive links.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'environmental benefits', 'excessive waste', and 'infrastructure'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'residence' instead of 'residents' and 'sucessful' instead of 'successful'. You rely on fairly common vocabulary; to improve, you should attempt to incorporate more precise, less common lexical items and collocations. The errors present do not impede communication, but they do prevent the response from reaching a higher band in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent errors in punctuation and grammar, such as missing capital letters at the start of sentences, missing articles (e.g., 'in some area'), and subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'if citizen think'). These errors are noticeable but do not significantly impede the reader's understanding. To improve, focus on consistent capitalization, correct article usage, and ensuring subject-verb agreement. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy will also help elevate your score.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.