Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-08-17
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)
In many countries, a large amount of household waste is still not recycled, even though there is plenty of recycling facilities are available. This problem is mainly caused by a lack of awareness and the inconvenience of recycling. However, government and individuals should take several step to improve this situation.
One major reason for low recycling rates is that many people do not fully understand its importance. Some individuals are unaware of the environment damage cause by these waste, they are sending to landfills. Others may not know which materials can be recycled or how to separate them. In addition , recycling can be difficult sometimes. For example, if recycling bins are not accessible, people dump bags, plastic or paper in same using regular bins, because it requires less efforts.
Several measures could encourage people to recycle more. First, government should make recycle as convenient as possible by providing clearly labelled bins in homes or in specific near location of homes, workplaces and public areas. Regular collective services should also be available so people can easily dispose of recyclable materials. Secondly, public awareness campaigns could educate people about the benefits of recycling and explain how to separate different type of waste correctly.
Financial incentives and penalties could also be very effective. For instance, people could receive a small amount of refund when they return plastic bottles or cans to recycling centres. At the same time households or business that fails to follow rules of recycling should face penalties of their reckless behaviour. Such a action will help to everyone for protecting the land and people become more responsible for their waste they produce.
In conclusion, people often fail to recycle because of limited awareness about recycling system. By improving recycling facilities, educating the public and introducing suitable rewards and penalties, government can encourage more responsible behaviour and significantly reduce the amount of waste that sent to landfills.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for low recycling rates and potential solutions. The ideas are relevant and logically extended, such as the discussion on public awareness and the introduction of financial incentives. The position is clear throughout, and the conclusion effectively summarises the main points. To reach a higher band, the development of ideas could be more nuanced; for example, the explanation of 'inconvenience' could be expanded with a more specific real-world example beyond just 'dumping bags'. Overall, the response is well-structured and fully satisfies the requirements of the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The essay is logically organised, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, such as reasons for the problem or proposed solutions. Cohesive devices like 'In addition', 'For instance', and 'At the same time' are used to link ideas. However, there are some minor issues with mechanical cohesion, such as the slightly awkward phrasing in 'Such a action will help to everyone for protecting the land'. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the progression of ideas is generally smooth and easy to follow throughout the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate and appropriate for the task. The student uses topic-specific terms such as 'landfills', 'recyclable materials', and 'financial incentives'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'environment damage cause by these waste' (should be 'environmental damage caused by this waste') and 'reckless behaviour' (which is slightly strong in this context). While the range is sufficient to convey meaning clearly, it lacks the more sophisticated, precise vocabulary that would characterise a higher band score. The errors do not impede communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the environment damage'), subject-verb agreement ('government should make recycle'), and pluralisation ('different type of waste'). Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'Such a action will help to everyone for protecting the land'. While these errors are frequent, they do not impede the reader's understanding of the main points. To improve, the student should focus on consistent verb forms and the correct use of articles and prepositions.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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