Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-08-19
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 5.0)
In most countries, individuals do no recycle waste products as much as they could. I think this is happening because people do not have the knowledge of recycling, However I believe government of every country should take up the process as their responsibility.
On the one hand, large number of citizens of some countries do no have the knowledge of recycling waste. As a result, there is large number of rubbish loitering in our environments which may possibly cause environmental hazard. For example, empty plastic bottled water is not begin recycled in so many countries. when disposed, it block the drainage channels and the blockage lead to heavy flood during rainy seasons.
On the other hand, government should take the responsibility of the process. Which involves educating the public on proper disposal of rubbish and that there is something like recycling. this knowledge will shape the publics' behavior towards waste management, thereby encouraging recycling. For instance, if government
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, as it is only 158 words long. This significantly impacts the development of ideas. While the essay addresses both parts of the prompt—reasons for low recycling and potential solutions—the ideas are underdeveloped. The second body paragraph is incomplete, ending abruptly mid-sentence. Because the response is substantially under-length and lacks a conclusion, it does not fully address the task requirements, resulting in a low score for this criterion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay uses basic cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand' to structure the response. However, the logical progression is hindered by the incomplete nature of the text. Paragraphing is attempted, but the final paragraph is cut off, which disrupts the overall flow. Referencing is generally clear, but the lack of a concluding paragraph prevents the essay from having a coherent overall structure.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is adequate for basic communication but lacks the range and precision expected at higher bands. Phrases like 'rubbish loitering' and 'empty plastic bottled water' are somewhat unnatural. There is limited use of less common lexical items, and the repetition of words like 'knowledge' and 'recycling' suggests a restricted range. To improve, you should focus on using more precise collocations and a wider variety of topic-specific vocabulary related to environmental issues.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains several grammatical errors that affect clarity. For example, 'individuals do no recycle' (should be 'do not'), 'government of every country' (missing article), and 'it block the drainage' (subject-verb agreement error). There is a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but the frequent errors in basic grammar and punctuation indicate a lack of control. The incomplete final sentence further limits the assessment of your grammatical range.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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