Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-09-05

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)

Recycling is vital part of waste management. However, citizens in some countries may not realize its importance thus lack to responsibly recycle the waste. There are numerous reasons that contribute to this issue which will be discussed in the essay.

First, would be the innovative packaging methods to attract customers. In order to make products interesting manufacturers use layers of cardboard and plastic materials which has led to higher waste generation. For instance, when you buy an electronic product, its comes wrapped in plastic sheets to prevent scratches. The box used for packaging has multiple styrofoam and cardboard liners for cushioning which once removed cannot be reinserted, thus leads to smaller waste pieces of cardboard. Another reason would be the lack of knowledge due to which people often get confused about the type of materials that can be recycled.

Small steps can be taken to resolve the problem of improper recycling such as municipalities can increase their weekly waste collection runs to twice a week in heavily populated communities. Information in form of pamphlets can be provided to residents

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which significantly impacts the development of ideas. While the essay introduces the topic and addresses both parts of the prompt (reasons and solutions), the arguments are underdeveloped. The discussion on packaging is a good start, but the second point regarding lack of knowledge is mentioned without sufficient elaboration. Furthermore, the solutions section is incomplete, as the text ends abruptly mid-sentence. Because the response is 71 words short, the depth of analysis is insufficient to reach a higher band score, as the ideas are not fully extended or supported as required by the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay shows a basic level of organization with a clear introduction and paragraph breaks. However, the progression of ideas is interrupted by the incomplete nature of the final paragraph. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'First' and 'For instance', but the overall flow is hindered by the lack of a conclusion and the abrupt ending. The referencing is generally clear, but the mechanical structure of the paragraphs suggests a need for better planning to ensure a logical flow of ideas from start to finish.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. Phrases like 'vital part of waste management' and 'numerous reasons' are functional but lack sophistication. There are some minor errors in word choice, such as 'lack to responsibly recycle' (should be 'fail to recycle responsibly'). The range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little attempt to use less common or idiomatic language. To improve, you should aim to incorporate more precise terminology related to environmental issues and waste management.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical errors that affect the clarity of the writing. For example, 'its comes wrapped' should be 'it comes wrapped', and 'thus leads to smaller waste pieces' is grammatically awkward. There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and article usage throughout the text. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and sentence construction would be beneficial.

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

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