Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-09-02

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)

A few individual believes that they don't recycle their rubbish as much they could. This essay totally disagrees with the statement because people feel inconvenient and they are unaware about the advantages of recycling.

One of the reason why people don't recycle is that they are not sufficiently aware of its benefits. They think that recycling is unnecessary or that their individual effort will not make a significant difference. For example they throw waate such as plastics, bottles and rubbish on the road.

An other reason they don't recycle their rubbish is that they feel inconvenience. In some areas there aren't sufficient bins or collection services, so people all the rubbish in one container. For example, busy families finding it difficult to separate the waste and they collect in same container.

To change this a government should implemented a strict rules and regulations regarding separating degradable and non- biodegradable materials. penalty system should be followed inorder to encourage recycle. schools and media houses provide education regarding rubbish management helps to decrease air and water pollution. government should provide bins every corner of the roads, parks and other places. Awareness programmes should be done like ralleys.

In conclusion, the main causes of low recycling rates are lack of awareness and inconvience. Better education, improved facilities and appropriate incentives or penalties can help create a stronger culture of recycling.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for low recycling rates and potential solutions. However, the essay is under the 250-word minimum, which limits the depth of development. While the ideas are relevant, they are somewhat brief and lack detailed elaboration. For instance, the suggestion to use 'ralleys' is a good idea but is not expanded upon. The position is clear, but the under-length nature of the response prevents it from fully meeting the requirements for a higher band score. To improve, ensure each point is supported by a more thorough explanation or a more specific example to meet the word count requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for the two parts of the prompt, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'One of the reason', 'An other reason', and 'In conclusion', though some are used mechanically or contain grammatical errors. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the transition between sentences could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the overall flow is occasionally hindered by the brevity of the sentences and the lack of varied linking words. Improving the use of cohesive devices beyond simple transitions would enhance the logical flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at topic-specific vocabulary, such as 'degradable', 'non-biodegradable', and 'rubbish management'. However, there are instances of word-choice errors, such as 'feel inconvenience' instead of 'find it inconvenient' and 'waate' (spelling error). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive, which prevents a higher score. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring correct word forms, while also expanding their range of academic vocabulary to avoid repetition.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('A few individual believes', 'a government should implemented') and missing articles or prepositions. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are noticeable and occur frequently. The sentence structure is often basic, and the control over complex grammar is inconsistent. To improve, the student should focus on basic grammatical accuracy, particularly subject-verb agreement and verb tense consistency, before attempting more complex sentence structures.

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

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