Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-05

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 5.5)

In many countries, despite growing environmental awareness, the rate of recycling remains low. This essay will discuss the main reasons behind this issue and suggest some measures that government and individuals can take to address it.

One major reason why people do not recycle their rubbish because lack of convenience and awareness. Many households find recycling time-consuming because they have to separate waste and travel to collection points. For example, in some urban areas of Indian, there are no door-to-door waste segregation services, so people simply throw everything into one bin. another reason people unaware of the environmental impact of not recycling. They may not understand that plastic and paper waste contributes to landfill problems and pollution.

To change this, government should take care of this. Firstly, they have to give for every house three bins. red, blue, green. in red wet items like spoil food items, in green plastic , in blue dry dust . after that households should follow this. and also door-to-door have to come and they have to take all the rubbish. and also in schools they have to say to students to bring old books. after bringing they have to recycle and staff have to give new books students . by doing this students will not waste books they will save books and they will give to recycle

In conclusion, low recycling rates are primarily due to inconvenience and lack of awareness. it is possible to encourage more people to recycle and create a cleaner environment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The essay addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for low recycling rates and potential solutions. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. The reasons provided (inconvenience and lack of awareness) are relevant but could be expanded with more depth. The solutions suggested are practical but lack a formal tone and detailed explanation. For instance, the suggestion about school books is a bit narrow and lacks a broader perspective on systemic change. To reach a higher band, you should aim to provide more nuanced arguments and ensure that your solutions are presented in a more sophisticated, academic manner rather than as a list of instructions.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite mechanical and sometimes inaccurate. For example, starting a sentence with 'another reason people unaware' lacks a proper verb and transition. The flow between sentences is often abrupt, and the use of linking words is limited. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices such as 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'in light of this' to connect your ideas more fluidly. Additionally, ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence to guide the reader through your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range expected at higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'take care of this' and 'give for every house', which are informal and imprecise. There are also some errors in word choice, such as 'spoil food items' instead of 'food waste' or 'perishable waste'. To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to environmental issues, such as 'sustainability', 'waste management infrastructure', or 'public awareness campaigns'. Expanding your range of collocations will help you express your ideas with greater clarity and sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede communication. Issues include missing verbs ('another reason people unaware'), incorrect sentence structure ('government should take care of this'), and punctuation errors. The range of structures is limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences. To achieve a higher score, you need to demonstrate control over complex sentence structures, such as using relative clauses or conditional sentences. Additionally, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and article usage. Proofreading your work for basic sentence construction errors will significantly improve the clarity and quality of your writing.

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

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