Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-07
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)
Recently, a study showed that global warming had increased significantly in compared to previous times. All across the globe, people are not concerned to reuse or recycle their own rubbish as much as they should. The impact will not only harm humans, but all living creatures. The impacts and its solution are discussed further in the essay.
Firstly, recycling means using object (used) in a way that it can be used again rather them throwing them away. In my opinion, recycling is very crucial for both us and the environment as recycling will be very convenient for us and will be less harmful for the environment. Not taking this measure will cost the future generation as pollution will significantly surge. For instance, not recycling plastic bottles in a proper manner will ultimately harm earth as plastic does not decomposes for decades.
However, some measures can be taken by us and our government to defeat such potential occurring problems. Firstly, we should launch campaign about avoiding the use of unrecyclable objects like plastic. The campaign should try to aware people about ' benefits of recycling' and 'how to or what to recycle'. Use of cultural art or dance and slogans can attract or grab people's attention towards the campaign. Secondly, government of different countries should impose specific laws for recycling of items, and the laws should be strict like heavy taxation, etc. The Indian Railways had imposed such laws in which recycle bins are provided within every 200 metres for a platform
To recapitulate, recycling items is a very important step and everybody should perform it. This will not only benefit humans but all living creatures from the globe. Some measures can be taken to aware people about recycling, which will make earth a better place for living.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: why people do not recycle and what can be done. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For example, the explanation of why people do not recycle is largely absent, focusing instead on the definition of recycling and its importance. The solutions provided, such as campaigns and government laws, are relevant but could be expanded with more specific reasoning or examples. The position is clear, but the essay would benefit from a more thorough exploration of the underlying causes of the problem to reach a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the problem and the solutions. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'However', and 'To recapitulate' are used, though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the connection between sentences could be smoother in the first body paragraph. Overall, the structure supports the reader's understanding of the argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'aware people' (should be 'make people aware') and 'potential occurring problems'. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the message, but it does not demonstrate the flexibility or the use of less common lexical items required for higher bands. Some repetition of basic terms like 'recycling' and 'harm' is evident throughout the text.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader, such as 'in compared to' (should be 'compared to'), 'rather them throwing' (should be 'rather than throwing'), and 'plastic does not decomposes' (should be 'does not decompose'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a lack of control over complex structures. More attention to subject-verb agreement and preposition usage is needed to improve accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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