Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-09-23

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)

Awareness among people lacks a lot about recycling waste; they have no idea how many wonders they can do with the waste. To keep the city immaculate, you must keep it clean, and for the betterment of society and the country, you must use recyclable waste and also recycle it once you use it.

The government should take initiatives like this, as has been done in developed countries. With awareness, there should be separate waste disposal in your area, where you must discard it in a segregated manner. Once the initial work has been done, the government has a duty to develop the recycling plants and use them in the best possible manner. To make the country astonishing, each and every one has to play their part.

In summary, waste is one of the contributors to emissions in the country, so to reduce those, we have to start recycling and do our part for the betterment of the country and to support its decision of reducing emissions by 50% by 2035. We have already committed to reducing it in our Nationally Determined Contributions, and we are also a signatory to the Paris Agreement, so every little bit of it will help. Being a vulnerable country, we need to save ourselves from the worst.

This starts from the water bottle we consume on a daily basis, and to attract our people, we can set up a machine that gives you a refund to recycle a bottle, and initiatives like this will create a lot more awareness, as monetary value attached to anything gives more sense and attraction.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt, exploring the reasons behind low recycling rates (lack of awareness, absence of systematic disposal) and suggesting solutions (government initiatives, separate waste bins, recycling plants, and refund machines for bottles). However, the ideas are presented in a somewhat disjointed manner, and the connection between the general reasons and the specific mention of international agreements feels slightly abrupt. While the position is generally clear, the development of ideas remains somewhat superficial in places, preventing it from reaching a higher band. Nevertheless, all requirements of the prompt are covered, aligning well with a Band 6.0 descriptor.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay displays an overall coherent arrangement, but paragraphing and logical progression need improvement. The text moves from general awareness to government initiatives, then abruptly into a discussion on emissions targets, the Paris Agreement, and finally to a specific example regarding water bottles and refund machines. Paragraph breaks are used, but the internal flow within paragraphs lacks smooth transitions. While cohesive devices are attempted, referencing is sometimes unclear, such as the sudden shift in perspective when discussing national commitments. This fits the Band 6 descriptor where cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, with attempts at less common lexical items such as 'immaculate', 'segregated manner', 'Nationally Determined Contributions', and 'vulnerable country'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'Awareness among people lacks a lot about recycling waste' and 'to attract our people'. While meaning is generally conveyed, these lexical slips and slight awkwardness in phrasing prevent the vocabulary score from reaching a higher band. The performance is characteristic of Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating conditional and multi-clause structures such as 'To keep the city immaculate, you must keep it clean, and for the betterment of society...' There are some grammatical errors and awkward phrasing throughout, for instance, 'Awareness among people lacks a lot' and 'monetary value attached to anything gives more sense and attraction'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, and errors do not impede overall communication. This mix of accurate structures alongside persistent minor errors places the grammar firmly at Band 6.0.

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

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