Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-10
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 ,people do not recycle their rubbish due to lack of literacy and knowledge. While some people those even have knowledge still they do not recycle their rubbish due to laziness. This problem seems to be a normal and minor problem, but in the long term this can prove to be extremely dangerous for our environment. In fact this problem has started to show it's affect on the environment as the global warming is drastically increasing and the ozone layer is depleting. We should now stop ignoring this issue and should take strict actions. The one who has to take action is the Government itself. The Government should impose heavy fines on not recycling the rubbish or not on throwing the rubbish in recycle bins. Because now we do not have time to leave this issue lenient. Now it's time to take strict measures on this issue. The Citizens themselves should cooperate with government and help resolve this issue. A great example of the consequences of not recycling rubbish is the capital of India, which is Dehli. There every road is full of rubbish which is causing dangerous and life threatening diseases. When we do not recycle the rubbish, then unfortunately we have to burn it that also pollutes the air and the Air Quality Index decreases of that place. Just as Delhi the capital of India is facing an all time high AQI. The citizens of Delhi has now understood the importance of recycling and thus we also should understand it before it is too late.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| 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: reasons for low recycling rates and potential solutions. However, the development is somewhat superficial. While you mention 'lack of literacy' and 'laziness' as reasons, these points are not fully explored or supported with depth. The solutions, such as government fines, are mentioned but lack a detailed explanation of how they would be implemented or their potential impact. The example of Delhi is relevant, but the connection between the city's air quality and the specific act of recycling is slightly tenuous. To reach a higher band, you should aim to expand on your ideas with more detailed reasoning and clearer links between the causes and the proposed solutions.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay lacks clear paragraphing, which makes it difficult for the reader to follow the progression of your argument. The entire response is written as a single block of text. While there is some attempt to use cohesive devices (e.g., 'In fact', 'Because', 'Thus'), the flow is often mechanical and repetitive. The transition between the causes of the problem and the solutions is abrupt. To improve, you must organise your ideas into distinct paragraphs: one for the introduction, one for the reasons, one for the solutions, and one for the conclusion. This will help create a more logical structure and improve the overall flow of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the range and precision required for a higher band. You rely on basic terms like 'problem' and 'issue' repeatedly. There are also some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'leave this issue lenient' and 'affect' (used as a noun instead of 'effect'). While you attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary like 'Air Quality Index' and 'depleting', the overall range is limited. To improve, try to incorporate more varied synonyms and precise academic collocations to express your ideas more effectively.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'some people those even have knowledge', 'the citizens of Delhi has now understood', and 'that also pollutes the air'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage and spacing around punctuation marks. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and subject-verb agreement prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for these common errors will significantly improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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