Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-09-12

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 7.5)

Recycling is an effective way to reduce waste and protect the environment. However, in many countries, people still do not recycle as much as they could. This is mainly because recycling is inconvenient for some people and there is a lack of awareness about its importance.

One major reason is that recycling facilities are not always easily available. In some areas, people have to travel a long distance to find recycling centres or separate different types of waste themselves. Consequently, many people choose the easier option of putting all their rubbish into one bin. Another reason is that some people do not know which materials can be recycled or how recycling benefits the environment. They may also believe that their individual efforts will have little effect on such a large global problem.

There are several ways to encourage people to recycle more. First, governments should provide clearly labelled recycling bins in residential areas, schools, workplaces and public places. Recycling collections should also be frequent and convenient. Second, schools and the media should educate people about the importance of recycling and teach them how to separate their waste correctly. Finally, governments could introduce financial incentives, such as giving people a small refund when they return plastic bottles and cans. This would provide a direct motivation to recycle.

For example, Germany has a deposit-return system for many bottles and cans, which encourages consumers to return them instead of throwing them away.

In conclusion, the main reasons for low recycling rates are inconvenience and a lack of awareness. Better recycling facilities, public education and financial incentives could encourage people to recycle more and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response fully addresses all parts of the task by clearly explaining why people do not recycle as much as they could (inconvenience, lack of awareness, and skepticism) and providing practical solutions (improved facilities, education, and financial incentives). The ideas are well developed and extended with relevant examples, such as mentioning Germany's deposit-return system. The position is clear throughout, and the main points are logically linked to the prompt. Therefore, this performance successfully meets the criteria for Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response demonstrates a clear logical organization and progression throughout. The essay is divided into well-structured paragraphs, with an introduction, distinct body paragraphs addressing causes and solutions respectively, a supporting example paragraph, and a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices are used effectively and flexibly, as seen with transition markers like 'One major reason', 'Another reason', 'First', 'Second', and 'Finally'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, guiding the reader smoothly through the writer's arguments.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary with some flexibility and precision, suitable for a Band 7.0. Expressions such as 'financial incentives', 'direct motivation', and 'deposit-return system' show a good grasp of topic-specific leaxe. While much of the vocabulary is standard and functional rather than highly sophisticated, there are no noticeable spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication. The use of less common items demonstrates an adequate lexical control for this level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response exhibits a good variety of complex structures alongside simple sentences, showing good control overall. Sentences such as 'In some areas, people have to travel a long distance to find recycling centres or separate different types of waste themselves' and 'Governments should provide clearly labelled recycling bins in residential areas' demonstrate good syntactic variety. The majority of sentences are error-free, and punctuation is handled well. Minor slips are absent, reflecting a solid command of grammar appropriate for a Band 7.5.

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

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