Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-08-22

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)

In many nations, individual do not reprocess their trash as long as they can. It can be due to several factors which will be discussed in this essay and also what can be done to change this.

There are several reasons why people fail to recycle their dustbin, including lack of awareness. Majority of the individuals in the countries are not aware that they can reuse their household waste like bottles, cans and nylons, which can be processed in order to package a new products. For example, Nigerians have a low campaign program which educates the citizens on waste disposal system. In addition, there are inadequate recycling facilities which aids the disposal of refuse and garbage. For instance, In Nigeria, there is low facilities that help in rubbish collection which enables the increase of discarded materials on the street. Unlike America which is a clean nation and has a good trash disposal system

The Government can provide recycling bin and collection services which can help reducing litters which are disposed improperly by the roadside by bystanders and individuals as this can help in reducing air pollution. To illustrate, Lagos state has a collection service that takes garbage every morning. Futhermore, citizen who dispose waste anyhow is being fined 25,000 Naira. Also, the people should be well-informed about the environmental hazard caused by the odour. For example, Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) should move around schools, churches and Market Square to educate students and people on the harm caused by careless disposal.

In conclusion, there should be a good disposal system which can help eradicate refuse improper disposal and the government should sanction everyone guilty of it. Overall, this will help to change the way waste are being disposed.

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 awareness and the need for government infrastructure. However, the development is somewhat uneven. The explanation regarding 'lack of awareness' is clear, but the discussion on recycling facilities is slightly repetitive. The examples provided, particularly regarding Nigeria, are relevant and help support the arguments. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully extended with a clear link back to the prompt, and avoid over-generalising about countries like America, which could be more nuanced.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In addition', 'For instance', and 'Furthermore', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the referencing is occasionally weak, such as in the sentence 'Unlike America which is a clean nation...', which lacks a clear connection to the preceding point about recycling facilities. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence flows naturally into the next would enhance the overall coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. There are some awkward word choices, such as 'reprocess their trash' instead of 'recycle', and 'fail to recycle their dustbin', which is a collocation error. The use of 'nylons' to refer to plastic waste is also non-standard in this context. While the student attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'environmental hazard' and 'sanction', the overall range is limited. Focusing on more precise collocations and avoiding informal phrasing would significantly improve the lexical score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('citizen who dispose waste... is being fined' should be 'citizens who dispose of waste... are fined') and article usage ('there is low facilities'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some sentence fragments, such as the final sentence of the second paragraph. To improve, the student should focus on consistent subject-verb agreement and the correct use of plural/singular nouns, as well as refining the use of articles.

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

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