Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Taking care of our environment is one of the duties or responsibilities of all of us. The more we take care of our planet the more it will be better. In many countries, people do not recycle their trash. Instead, they mix up everything thinking it won't affect the world. In this modern world, We are moving forward very quickly and we do have many ways to recycle.

It will help the world to be clean and green. In USA and Canada, I have seen there are separate Bins for plastic, paper and food or liquid waste. The Government also provides three varieties of dustbins. However, people don't differentiate their trash. People often struggle with recycling because of unclear local guidelines or the lack of convenient infrastructure in their neighborhoods. This problem can be solved by educating everyone. Teaching them ways to do it and benefits of doing it.

Another reason is people do not have enough motivation to change their regular habits. If recycling requires extra effort but provides no immediate benefit, many people may not consider it important. In some countries, there are also limited recycling services, particularly in rural or less developed areas. Recycling facilities should be made more convenient by placing separate bins in homes, workplaces, schools, and public areas. Governments could also introduce financial incentives, such as refunds for returning plastic bottles and cans.

In conclusion to this, people often fail to recycle because of a lack of awareness, inconvenience, and motivation. By providing better recycling facilities, educating the public, and offering financial incentives, governments can encourage more people to recycle and create a cleaner environment for future generations.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for low recycling rates and potential solutions. The ideas are relevant and clearly presented, such as the lack of infrastructure and the need for financial incentives. However, the development is somewhat brief. While the points are logical, they could be expanded with more specific examples or deeper analysis to reach a higher band. The position is clear throughout, and the conclusion effectively summarizes the main points. To improve, ensure that each body paragraph provides a more detailed explanation of the 'why' and 'how' rather than listing points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. Cohesive devices are present, such as 'However', 'Another reason', and 'In conclusion to this', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. For instance, the transition between the general statement about recycling and the specific mention of USA/Canada is a bit abrupt. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There is some attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'infrastructure', 'financial incentives', and 'differentiate their trash'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is some repetition of basic words like 'people' and 'world'. To reach a higher band, the student should incorporate more precise collocations and a wider variety of synonyms to avoid repetitive phrasing. The word choice is accurate, and there are no spelling errors that impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'The more we take care of our planet the more it will be better' (which should be 'the better it will be') and 'In conclusion to this' (which is slightly unnatural). Punctuation is generally correct, though there are occasional issues with capitalization, such as 'We' in the middle of a sentence. While the errors do not impede communication, the range of complex structures is somewhat limited. Increasing the use of varied subordinate clauses would improve the score.

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

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