Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-09-15

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 6.0)

ghdtivjlvyi hjIn many countries, people do not recycle their rubbish as much as they could. There are several reasons for this problem, and some steps can be taken to improve the situation.

One main reason is that people are not aware of the importance of recycling. Many people are busy with their daily life and they do not think about where their rubbish goes. Another reason is that recycling can sometimes be difficult. For example, there may not be enough recycling bins in neighbourhoods, and people may not know which items can be recycled. In addition, some people think that recycling is not their responsibility and that the government should deal with rubbish.

There are several ways to encourage people to recycle more. First, governments should provide more recycling bins in public places and residential areas. They should also make recycling instructions simple and easy to understand. Schools can teach children about recycling and explain how it can protect the environment. Furthermore, governments could give rewards to people who recycle, such as discounts or small payments. Companies can also use less plastic packaging and provide recyclable materials.

In conclusion, lack of knowledge, convenience and interest are some important reasons why people do not recycle enough. Governments, schools and companies should work together to make recycling easier and encourage people to do it regularly.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The candidate has addressed both parts of the prompt, explaining the reasons why people do not recycle as much as they could, such as lack of awareness, inconvenience, and shifting responsibility, while also suggesting practical solutions like providing more bins and educational campaigns. However, there is a critical issue regarding the length requirement. The text contains 223 words, which falls short of the mandatory 250-word minimum specified in the task instructions. As a result, the development of ideas is somewhat curtailed and cannot be considered fully extended. While the content presented is directly relevant and logically structured, the negative impact of the word count constraint limits the task response to a Band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response displays a clear overall structure with a standard four-paragraph layout containing an introduction, two body paragraphs covering causes and solutions, and a concise conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct thematic blocks of information. Cohesive devices are employed reasonably well to link sentences and ideas, utilizing words and phrases such as 'One main reason', 'Another reason', 'First', and 'Furthermore'. However, referencing and transitional links occasionally feel somewhat basic or mechanical. For example, the opening of the essay contains random typographical noise ('ghdtivjlvyi hj'), which slightly disrupts the initial flow of the text. Despite this minor glitch, the progression of ideas from causes to solutions is generally logical and easy to follow, supporting a Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully incorporating topic-related terminology such as 'rubbish', 'recycling bins', 'residential areas', 'environment', and 'packaging'. The language is mostly natural and communicates meaning effectively without causing confusion for the reader. However, the lexical range remains rather standard and lacks more sophisticated or less common lexical items (such as paraphrasing or nuanced idiomatic expressions). There are also no glaring spelling or word-choice errors within the main body of the text, apart from the initial garbled characters. Because the vocabulary is sufficient for the task and accurately deployed, it comfortably meets the criteria for Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay demonstrates a reasonable mix of simple and complex sentence forms. The candidate successfully deploys complex structures using subordinate clauses, such as 'which items can be recycled' and 'people who recycle, such as discounts or small payments'. Grammatical accuracy is generally high throughout the body of the response; the majority of the sentences are well-formed and free of intrusive errors. Punctuation and verb tense consistency are maintained well. Although the range of grammatical structures is somewhat restricted by the overall brevity of the essay, the control over the structures attempted is solid. The presence of frequent error-free sentences ensures that this submission achieves a Band 7.0 for grammatical accuracy.

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

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