Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

In many countries, people do not recycle as much household waste as they could. There are several reasons for this problem, including a lack of awareness and the inconvenience of recycling. However, governments and individuals can take a number of steps to improve the situation.

One important reason why people do not recycle enough is that they are not fully aware of the negative effects of waste on the environment. Many people do not realise how long materials such as plastic take to decompose or how much pollution is caused by producing and disposing of unnecessary products. Another reason is that recycling may not always be convenient. In some areas, there are not enough recycling bins or collection services, so people may simply throw recyclable items away with their general rubbish. In addition, some people may feel that their individual efforts will not make a significant difference.

There are several ways to encourage people to recycle more. Firstly, governments should provide convenient recycling facilities and regular collection services. Recycling bins could be placed in residential areas, schools and public places so that people can recycle without much effort. Secondly, governments and schools should educate the public about the environmental consequences of excessive waste. This could help people understand why recycling is important. Finally, financial incentives could be introduced. For example, people could receive a small refund when they return plastic bottles or cans, while households that produce large amounts of non-recyclable waste could be charged more.

In conclusion, low recycling rates are mainly caused by a lack of awareness and convenient recycling facilities. Better education, improved recycling services 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 prompt, exploring both the reasons why people do not recycle as much as they could and offering viable solutions to change this behavior. In the first body paragraph, you clearly explain the causes, such as "a lack of awareness" and "the inconvenience of recycling," and support these with logical explanations regarding material decomposition and the scarcity of collection services. In the second body paragraph, you present well-developed solutions, including infrastructure improvement, public education campaigns, and financial incentives like "a small refund when they return plastic bottles or cans." The position is clear throughout the essay, and all ideas are extended and supported effectively, earning a strong Band 7.0 for Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay demonstrates clear logical organisation and progression throughout. The response is well-structured into a traditional introduction, two distinct body paragraphs tackling causes and solutions respectively, and a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices are used effectively and flexibly to guide the reader, such as "One important reason," "Another reason," "Firstly," "Secondly," and "Finally." Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph having a clear central topic. Referencing throughout the text is clear and avoids ambiguity. While cohesion is sometimes slightly formulaic rather than entirely natural, the overall flow meets the requirements for a Band 7.0 descriptor.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate an adequate to sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating less common lexical items such as "decompose," "excessive waste," "financial incentives," and "landfill." Word choice is generally appropriate and precise, as seen in phrases like "negative effects of waste" and "residential areas." There are very few spelling or word-choice errors, and communication is never impeded. Although the lexical range does not consistently reach the sophisticated and flexible control required for higher bands, the vocabulary used is precise enough to achieve a solid Band 7.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, featuring subordinate clauses and conditional elements such as "Many people do not realise how long materials such as plastic take to decompose" and "so people may simply throw recyclable items away." There is good control of grammar and punctuation, with a high proportion of error-free sentences throughout the text. Minor slips or inaccuracies are virtually absent, showing a strong command of sentence architecture. This level of grammatical control comfortably aligns with the Band 7.0 descriptors.

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