Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-13

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 rubbish is recycled using different processes how important is it and benefits it can have,

In major developed countries rubbish and trash isn't wasted or dumped, they use multiple processed and modern machinery to recycle the products to use them again. Recycling have hundreds of benefits especially on us and on our environment.

Recycling serves a major role in protecting our environment and our wildlife from pollution and damage. Materials like plastic and rubber takes millions of years to decompose completely which can damage our environment. Recycling helps us to reuse old plastic products and make new things out of it.

In many countries plastic bottles and bags are recycled in industries to make new products. They have recycling shops, collectors and recycling bins for such materials. Government should guide its citizens to use recycling bins and educates them about the consequences of dumping plastics on roads and in our environment, and also guide the business owners to stop using plastic bags instead they should paper bags and paper products.

By recycling we can protects our planet from multiple types of pollution. For example: Plastics and chemicals damage our marine life and affects their movements this is a major reason of extinction among sea creatures

Waste plastic can be used in many things like making toys, plastic bottles, decoration pieces, and will be helpful in our industry and will help us to remove excessive trash every country should have recycling plants for recycling their trash and rubbish.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt, identifying reasons for low recycling rates and suggesting solutions. However, the development is somewhat superficial. While you mention that recycling protects the environment, the explanation of why people do not recycle is limited to a general statement about developed countries. The ideas are relevant but lack depth and specific examples; for instance, the mention of 'recycling shops' is vague. To improve, you should provide more concrete reasons, such as lack of infrastructure, public apathy, or the inconvenience of sorting waste, and expand on the solutions with more detailed, logical steps.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is limited and occasionally mechanical, such as the repetitive use of 'recycling' to start sentences. There are also issues with referencing; for example, the opening sentence is a fragmented list of topics rather than a clear introduction. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in contrast') and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that connects logically to the next.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely heavily on basic terms like 'rubbish', 'trash', and 'things'. While you attempt some topic-specific vocabulary such as 'decompose', 'extinction', and 'marine life', these are used in a somewhat repetitive manner. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'educates them' instead of 'educate them'. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms and collocations related to environmental issues, such as 'sustainable practices', 'waste management', or 'biodegradable materials'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but accuracy is inconsistent. There are several grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'Recycling have', 'Materials... takes', 'Plastics... affects'). Punctuation is also problematic, particularly the lack of proper sentence boundaries and the use of commas where full stops are needed. While the meaning is generally clear, these frequent errors interrupt the flow of the writing. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that each sentence expresses a complete thought with correct punctuation.

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

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