Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-10-31

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)

Nowadays, people do not recycle their wastes responsibly in many countries, which has led to the increased environmental pollution and greater number of health hazards to humans. The most crucial cause of this negative trend is lack of awareness among people about the devastating effects of rubbish on ecosystem. Moreover, the busy working routine of individuals could also render them to take part in recycling activity. To overcome this problem, government should impose heavy taxes and conduct environmental sustainability awareness compaigns.

The one reason for not recylcing rubbish is the lack of knowledge about dangerous effects of waste content such as plastic, and glass on the environment. People are ignorant to how their waste is dumped into oceans and rivers and then its possible effects on the sea life and ultimately on human beings. For example, if a plastic item is not recycled and thrown into rubbish bin then it causes air pollution after burning or lead to the death of sea creatures when consumed. The other possible reason is the lack of time due to hectic work routine which render people to spend some of their time in doing recycling of their waste. People working 9am to 5pm are so exhausted at the end of the day that recycling is overlooked.

Nevertheless, strict legislative rules and government action can address this problem. First of all, certain rules related to waste recycling should be implemented, for instance, people should be punished by taking heavy fine on non-recycled rubbish so that everyone recycle his waste. Moreover, government should spread awareness and knowlege about the benefits of recycling waste on environment and ecosystem and possible consequences of throwing rubbish irresponsibly without recycling. For example, in many developed countries a surge of recycling waste is observed by informative recycling compaigns in schools, universities, and on social media.

In conclusion, although people do not care about recycling their rubbish due lack of awareness and knowledge, this problem can be addressed by government taking immediate measures by awareness compaigns and imposing legislative rules.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both questions and maintain a clear focus: lack of awareness and limited time are offered as causes, while fines and awareness campaigns are proposed as solutions. Relevant examples, such as plastic harming sea creatures and campaigns in schools and on social media, help support these points. The response also gives a clear overall direction in its conclusion. However, the causes and solutions are not developed equally fully. The time-pressure point is brief, and the proposal to impose fines would benefit from explanation of how recycling rules could be monitored or made practical. Some claims, such as the effect of campaigns in developed countries, remain general. More specific explanation and support would make the response more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear four-part structure: an introduction, a paragraph on causes, a paragraph on solutions, and a conclusion. Ideas progress logically, and signposting such as “Moreover,” “For example,” “Nevertheless,” and “In conclusion” helps readers follow the argument. The examples are generally placed beside the points they illustrate. At times, however, the linking is somewhat formulaic, particularly the repeated use of “Moreover” and “For example.” Some references could also be clearer: “its possible effects” has an uncertain antecedent, and “the other possible reason” is less natural as a transition between causes. Varying transitions and making references more precise would make cohesion more flexible and less noticeable.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “environmental pollution,” “ecosystem,” “legislative rules,” and “awareness campaigns,” and the meaning is generally clear. There are also attempts at less common expressions such as “devastating effects” and “hectic work routine.” However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, including “recycle their wastes responsibly,” “render them to take part,” and “taking heavy fine.” Spelling slips such as “recylcing,” “knowlege,” and “compaigns” also reduce accuracy. These errors do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and naturalness. Focus on standard collocations for recycling and enforcement, and proofread spelling and word forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses beginning “although” and “that,” and most sentences communicate the intended meaning. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with articles, agreement, and sentence construction. For example, “lack of awareness” and “government should” need more consistent article use, while “the other possible reason … which render people” has a subject–verb agreement problem. The sentence “people should be punished by taking heavy fine” also has an awkward passive construction, and “so that everyone recycle his waste” needs a correctly formed verb. These issues rarely obstruct meaning, but more consistent control of agreement, articles, and clause structure would improve accuracy.

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