Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
Nowadays, rubbish recycle is an increasing concern in many cities. People are not willing to recycle their rubbish as much as they could in many nations. This essay will discuss the main reasons and some possible solutions to solve these issues.
One primary reason of people not ready to recycle the complete rubbish is the lack of time. Everyone is busy with their work and have tight schedules. Therefore, they have only less time for garbage arrangement and recycle the things. They only do recycle when they get enough time. For example, recycle wastes need to separate from other wastes and store in different cover. It takes more time and not everyone put extra effort to arrange waste in proper manner. As a result, they recycle some rubbish when they wish.
One effective solution to this problem is that the government can provide more garbage bins and make awareness among society about the importance of waste management and proper recycling. Also, the wastes should collect regularly and establish strict rules and penalties for individuals who are not following the rules. This can improve the performance and solve the problem at a limit. For instance, Canada have strict rules and people getting fines for putting wastes in other garbage bins.
In conclusion, rubbish recycling is an important issue that i
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses both parts of the prompt, identifying time constraints as a reason and government intervention as a solution. However, the essay is significantly under the 250-word minimum, which limits the depth of development. The ideas, such as the need for more bins and stricter penalties, are relevant but remain somewhat superficial. The conclusion is incomplete, cutting off mid-sentence, which prevents a clear summary of the position. To improve, you must expand your arguments with more detailed explanations and ensure the essay reaches the required length to fully explore the complexities of the topic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay follows a logical structure with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a (partial) conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the reasons from the solutions. Cohesive devices such as 'Therefore', 'For example', and 'In conclusion' are present, though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the abrupt ending significantly impacts the overall coherence of the piece. To improve, ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that your concluding paragraph is fully developed to provide a sense of closure to your argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'rubbish', 'things', and 'do recycle'. Phrases like 'garbage arrangement' and 'make awareness' are slightly unnatural; 'waste management' and 'raise awareness' would be more appropriate. There are also some minor errors in word choice, such as 'recycle wastes' instead of 'recyclable waste'. To improve, focus on learning collocations related to environmental topics and aim for more precise terminology to convey your ideas more effectively.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'rubbish recycle is' (recycling is), 'everyone... have' (everyone has), and 'wastes should collect' (waste should be collected). The use of articles and pluralization is inconsistent throughout the text. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the passive voice, which is particularly useful when discussing environmental policies and government actions.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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