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)

In many countries, it has been noticed that individuals are not prioritizing recycling and reduction of waste as much as they could. This is because of multiple reasons such as lack of awareness or not having a proper waste collection system. If waste is not treated properly, this could significantly impact the environment. Authorities should promote recycling and run campaigns for the awareness of the population.

To commence with, people are not recycling and reducing their household waste because they are not aware of their pros and cons. Moreover, they do not have community dustbins and a proper waste collection system set up by government bodies. Similarly, they also not aware about the effects of garbage on their personal health. This can create a sense of ignorance about waste and recycling among the individuals. For instance, collection of waste once a week and cash rewards for recycling plastic waste can encourage people to recycle.

This can be changed through educating people about the importance of recycling and explaining them the detrimental effects of garbage on the environment and their life. This could be possible by setting up awareness camps and proper dustbins in neighborhoods. Additionally, law enforcement authorities can collect fines from the people who are not following the recycling procedures. For instance, in countries like Canada and America, households may face penalties if they do not properly sort their waste into designated bins.

To sum up, people show negligence regarding waste management because they are not aware of its harmful outcomes. Authorities should run waste management campaigns to educate individuals. Careful planning and combining efforts of both individuals aur authorities can improve waste management practices.

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 awareness and inadequate infrastructure. However, the development is somewhat repetitive; for instance, the point about 'awareness' is mentioned in the introduction, the second paragraph, and the third paragraph. To reach a higher band, you should expand on the 'why' and 'how' with more depth rather than restating the same points. The conclusion is clear, but the overall development lacks the depth required for a higher score, as the arguments remain somewhat superficial.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. You use cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'Moreover', and 'To sum up' to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the link between the second paragraph (reasons) and the third paragraph (solutions) could be smoother. The use of referencing is generally effective, though there are minor instances where the flow could be improved by varying the sentence structure to avoid a repetitive 'subject-verb' pattern at the start of sentences.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'detrimental', 'negligence', and 'designated bins' appropriately. However, the vocabulary is somewhat limited and occasionally repetitive, particularly the frequent use of 'waste' and 'recycling'. There are minor errors in word choice, such as 'explaining them' (should be 'explaining to them') and 'awareness of the population' (which is slightly unnatural). To improve, try to incorporate more precise synonyms and collocations related to environmental management to show a wider, more sophisticated range of vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical slips. For example, 'they also not aware' is missing a verb ('are'), and 'combining efforts of both individuals aur authorities' contains a typo. There are also minor issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. While you attempt complex sentences, they are not always error-free. To achieve a higher band, focus on ensuring subject-verb agreement and proofreading for small omissions, as these errors occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score.

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

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