Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-08-18

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)

Recycling is a problem in many countries. With evolution in waste management policies, efforts are being made to maximize it. It is an essential need to separate our garbage into categories of reusable and non-reusable. This helps in in reducing waste and promote the use of materials like glass and plastics which can be used as elementary material to create other products.

The main reason for not recycling waste is lack of awareness. People still consider it nonessential and separating waste is believed to take a lot of effort which is not even useful. A key example could be found in our households itself. Most countries do not have separate bins for garbage, recyclables and organics in their houses. As a result of this, all kinds of waste is dumped in the same landfill resulting in pollution.

Efforts should be made in order to to promote recycling. Awareness on waste management should start from elementary schools itself. The kids should be thought the difference between different types of garbage. The government should implement policies in local municipalities and reward households and businesses who separate there garbage in the most efficient way. Public places should also promote recycling by adding separate cans for different kids of garbage with visual examples to make public more aware.

In conclusion, recycling is an important step to waste management. It is essential for not just minimizing pollution but also helps in building a community that can thrive with sustainable products eventually leading to cutting down on many non disposable products.

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 infrastructure and the need for educational initiatives. However, the development is somewhat superficial. For instance, the point about 'lack of awareness' is mentioned, but it could be expanded with more specific examples of how this manifests in different cultures or demographics. The solutions provided are logical but remain at a general level. To reach a higher band, you should aim to provide more detailed explanations and perhaps a more nuanced discussion of the challenges involved in implementing these changes.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. There is a clear progression of ideas from the introduction to the body paragraphs and the conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'As a result of this' and 'In conclusion', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, although the connection between the lack of bins and the broader issue of recycling could be more tightly linked. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and the structure supports the reader's understanding of your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'waste management', 'sustainable', and 'municipalities'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, you use 'elementary material' instead of 'raw material' and 'different kids of garbage' (a typo for 'kinds'). The vocabulary is functional but lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing, such as the repeated use of 'garbage' and 'waste'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include 'The kids should be thought' (should be 'taught'), 'separate there garbage' (should be 'their'), and 'in in reducing'. These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable but do not significantly impede communication. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement, spelling, and the correct use of prepositions. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures while maintaining accuracy will also help raise 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.