Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-09-16

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)

In many countries, people do not recycle their rubbish as much as they could. There are several reasons for this, including a lack of awareness and limited access to recycling facilities. However, governments and individuals can take effective steps to encourage people to recycle more.

One important reason is that many people are not fully aware of the importance of recycling. They may not realise that large amounts of household waste can be reused instead of being sent to landfills. Another reason is that recycling is not always convenient. In some communities, there are not enough recycling bins or regular collection services. Consequently, people may find it easier to put all their rubbish into one bin. For example, someone who has to travel a long distance to find a recycling facility may simply choose not to recycle.

There are several ways to solve this problem. First, governments should educate the public about recycling through schools, television and social media. People should be taught which materials can be recycled and why recycling is important. Second, local authorities should provide more recycling bins and offer regular collection services in residential areas. Financial incentives could also be introduced. For instance, people could receive a small refund when they return plastic bottles and cans, which would encourage them to recycle regularly.

In conclusion, the low level of recycling is mainly caused by a lack of awareness and inconvenient recycling facilities. Better public education, easier access to recycling services and financial incentives can encourage people to recycle more and reduce the amount of waste produced.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt, successfully exploring both why people do not recycle as much as they could and what can be done to change this. The student introduces a clear position in the introduction and maintains it throughout the essay. Ideas are well developed and supported with relevant explanations and examples, such as the mention of household waste being sent to landfills, the lack of recycling bins in certain communities, and the introduction of financial incentives like bottle return refunds. The response meets all task requirements effectively, earning a strong band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay displays clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, moving smoothly from the introduction to the causes, the solutions, and a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'One important reason', 'Another reason', 'Consequently', and 'First, governments should' are used effectively and flexibly to guide the reader through the text. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, ensuring the overall arrangement is entirely coherent and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task with good flexibility and precision. Words and phrases such as 'lack of awareness', 'limited access', 'household waste', 'landfills', 'convenient', and 'financial incentives' demonstrate a solid command of topic-specific lexis. There are also attempts to use less common items with an awareness of style and collocation, and no noticeable spelling or word-choice errors impede communication, making the lexical resource quite effective for a general writing task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response exhibits a good variety of complex structures alongside simpler sentences. Examples of complex clauses include 'People may not realise that large amounts of household waste can be reused instead of being sent to landfills' and 'For instance, people could receive a small refund when they return plastic bottles and cans, which would encourage them to recycle regularly.' The grammar and punctuation are controlled very well, with a high proportion of error-free sentences throughout the text, demonstrating strong control over grammatical forms.

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