Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-09-09
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)
It is often argued that in many nations recycling of garbage is not done well while in others believe that it is well maintained system. Although both the perspectives have their own merits, this essay will discuss both the views before explaining why I believe that waste is not recycle as much as it should be.
On the one hand, there are several reasons that people support the idea of improper execution of recycling process of rubbish by the government. Firstly, lack of awareness amongst individual about the importance of reusing the waste. This will ultimately causes the issues of mixing the wet and dry waste. Despite appropriate steps taken by the higher authorities towards the green environment. Lastly, some countries are not keen enough to take strict steps and taking legal actions on those who are not supporting in reprocessing the garbage. For instance, in China in spite of distributing endorsements on waste management especially plastic bottles. There are few spot which found fully covered with waste bottles which are non biodegradable as well.
On the other hand, many people argue that few nationality follows the recycling process which found better approach. One of the key reason is that some countries follow the wet and dry garbage segregation process. This will subsequently lead to improving the reusage of each waste properly. Another important point is few individuals in certain countries are self-discipline that they themselves uses biodegradable process to manage kitchen waste. This will subsequently leads to improve the chances of getting natural fertilizers and reducing the use of chemical to grow crops and plants.
In conclusion, some people believe that few countries do not appropriately taking steps to recycle the waste, while others argue in favor of nations who support the reusing of waste. After taking everything in account, I strongly believe that there are few regions who does not contributing in green environment making it most impractical and not beneficial option.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt, but the development is inconsistent. While you identify reasons for low recycling rates (lack of awareness, lack of strict enforcement), the second body paragraph shifts focus to why some countries are successful, which is not explicitly asked for in the prompt. The task asks 'What can be done to change this?', but your response lacks a clear, actionable set of solutions, focusing instead on describing current practices. To improve, ensure your ideas directly answer the specific questions posed in the prompt and provide more depth in your suggestions for change.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'On the one hand' and 'In conclusion' to signal transitions. However, the logical progression within paragraphs is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing and sentence fragments, such as 'For instance, in China in spite of distributing endorsements...'. Additionally, some cohesive links are used mechanically or incorrectly, such as 'This will subsequently leads to', which disrupts the flow of ideas. Improving the connection between sentences will help achieve a higher score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. You use basic terms like 'garbage' and 'rubbish' repeatedly. There are also issues with word formation and collocation, such as 'few nationality follows' (should be 'few nations follow') and 'distributing endorsements' (likely meant 'public awareness campaigns'). Some phrases are repetitive, such as 'this will subsequently lead to'. To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to environmental management and sustainability, and ensure you are using words in their correct grammatical form.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('some regions who does not contributing'), incorrect verb tenses, and sentence fragments. For example, 'There are few spot which found fully covered with waste bottles' is grammatically incorrect and difficult to parse. While you attempt complex structures, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar limits the score. Focusing on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and ensuring every sentence has a clear subject and main verb will significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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