Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-09-17

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 6.5)

In many countries, people do not recycle their rubbish as much as they could. This is a serious environmental problem. There are several reasons for this, and some steps can be taken to encourage people to recycle more.

One main reason is that many people do not have enough knowledge about recycling. They may not know which items can be recycled or how to separate their rubbish. Another reason is that recycling facilities are not available in some areas. For example, people may want to recycle plastic and paper, but there may be no separate rubbish bins near their homes. In addition, some people think recycling takes too much time and effort, so they simply throw everything into one bin.

There are several ways to improve this situation. Firstly, governments should provide separate recycling bins in residential areas and make recycling facilities easily available. Secondly, schools and the media should educate people about the importance of recycling. They can explain how recycling reduces pollution and protects natural resources. Governments could also offer small rewards or discounts to encourage people to recycle regularly.

For example, in some communities, people receive money or vouchers when they return plastic bottles. This can encourage more people to take part in recycling.

In conclusion, a lack of knowledge, facilities and motivation are some important reasons why people do not recycle enough. Better facilities, public education and incentives can encourage people to develop better recycling habits.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student addresses all parts of the prompt, successfully identifying reasons why people do not recycle (lack of knowledge, facilities, and motivation) and proposing appropriate solutions (government action, education, and financial incentives). The ideas are relevant and supported with clear examples, such as returning plastic bottles for vouchers. However, there is a penalty to consider regarding the length requirement: the prompt strictly requires a minimum of 250 words, but the response contains only 240 words. Because this negative constraint was not met, the score for Task Achievement is capped at Band 6.0, as the under-length nature prevents full development of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organised and easy to follow. Each paragraph has a clear central focus, moving smoothly from an introduction to body paragraphs discussing reasons and solutions, and concluding with a summary. Cohesive devices such as 'One main reason', 'Another reason', 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'In conclusion' are used appropriately to structure the text, though some transitions feel slightly formulaic. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each paragraph serving a distinct function in the overall essay structure. Overall, the coherence and cohesion of the response meet the criteria for a solid Band 7.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task. Phrases such as 'environmental problem', 'residential areas', 'natural resources', and 'recycling habits' show a good grasp of topic-specific language. While the vocabulary is mostly standard and functional rather than advanced or sophisticated, it is used accurately. There are no notable spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication. The lexical resource aligns well with the Band 6.0 descriptors, as the range is sufficient to communicate the ideas clearly, even if uncommon lexical items are sparse.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response features a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms. The student successfully constructs conditional and relative clauses, such as 'They may not know which items can be recycled' and 'people may want to recycle plastic and paper, but there may be no separate rubbish bins near their homes.' Grammar and punctuation are handled with good control, and the majority of sentences are error-free. The minor errors that do occur do not impede communication in any way. This level of grammatical control and variety fits comfortably within the Band 7.0 descriptor.

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

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