Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-09-04
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)
In some nations, individuals do not pay their focus to recycle their rubbish as much as they could. There are a lot of reasons which affects everyone’s life. We will do various things to change this behaviour.
To begin with, there are many reasons that shows individuals have not much knowledge about the recycling. First one is in this busy life , they do not have enough time to do recycle. They think that which time they waste to recycling things they done other important work. Secondly, in some apartments there are less quantity of bins. So people put all the stuff in one bin without thinking too much.
On the other hand, we will do various things to aware people that recycling things is very important for our environment. We have to introduce some programs and organise some campus, so we will give them a msg like how important recycle in our daily lives throughout those campus. Secondly, government should start some price or little money to give those person who will participate in recycling things in their daily lives, according to the items. So people would be participate more and more. Government should also make a website related to this so people daily post their opinions and photos when they use recycling bins.
In conclusion, lacking of knowledge, lack of time and a lot of money is some reasons that people do not recycle rubbish. But on the other hand, there are a lot of things that we can to encourage them to participate in recycling things.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
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 development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the point about 'busy life' is mentioned but not fully explained, and the suggestion of 'little money' for recycling is vague. The ideas are relevant, but they lack the depth and specific examples required for a higher band. The position is clear, but the overall argument could be more robustly supported with more detailed reasoning or concrete examples to fully satisfy the requirements of the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. There is a logical progression from reasons to solutions. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'To begin with', 'First one', 'Secondly', 'On the other hand'). Some transitions are awkward, such as 'So people put all the stuff in one bin', which lacks a formal link to the previous sentence. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the internal cohesion within paragraphs could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and better referencing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of awkward phrasing or incorrect word choices, such as 'pay their focus to recycle', 'organise some campus' (likely meaning campaigns), and 'give them a msg'. The range of vocabulary is limited, relying on basic terms like 'things', 'stuff', and 'do'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise terminology related to environmental issues and avoid informal or repetitive language. Spelling is generally accurate, but the lack of sophisticated lexical items limits the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally hinder the flow. Examples include 'there are many reasons that shows' (subject-verb agreement), 'they do not have enough time to do recycle' (incorrect verb form), and 'lacking of knowledge' (incorrect noun usage). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing around commas. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct verb patterns would significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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