Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-15

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)

Many countries' people do not recycle the waste they produce as much as they could. I think there are many reasons behind this. In this essay, I am going to discuss them thoroughly.

First of all, I think the main reason of people not recycling their rubbish is for lack of awareness. People do not think about the existing ecosystem, sustainability, and the upcoming future. They through household waste, plastic bottles, bags, cans here and there, and it pollutes the ecosystem, animals, trees, in bigger sense the hole nature. It is harmful for their own health. Also, after using a plastic products, it can be harmful for the nature, if it is not recycled properly. For example, if you do not recycle an one time use plastic water bottle and reuse it for many times, it can release microplastic molecule in your drink which can result in cancer.

Furthermore, if the rubbish is released in waterbodies of the nature, like ponds, rivers or sea, it harms the ecosystem of the waterbodies. It is harmful for the animals that live in water or the surrounding of the waterbody. If people uses that polluted water they can also become affected with many diseases like diarrhea. cholera, typhoid etc.

To conclude, people should be properly aware of the pros and cons of recycling their rubbish. Authorities can step forward and arrange free seminars, rallies and other awareness building program for the people. However, if there is less facilities of rubbish recycling, all will go in vain. Therefore, proper rubbish recycling projects should be established in all the cities and sub-cities. Thus, this problem can be solved swiftly.

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. The ideas are relevant, such as the lack of awareness and the need for government-led infrastructure. However, the development is somewhat limited. The discussion on health impacts, while interesting, is slightly tangential to the core issue of why people do not recycle. To reach a higher band, the response should focus more on the systemic or psychological barriers to recycling and provide more concrete, practical solutions beyond general awareness campaigns. The position is clear, but the depth of analysis could be improved by exploring the topic with more nuance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. There is a progression of ideas from the causes to the solutions. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'First of all,' 'Furthermore,' and 'To conclude,' which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are a bit mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as the use of 'the nature' or 'the hole nature.' The paragraphing is appropriate, but the flow between sentences could be smoother to achieve a more natural, sophisticated structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at more specific vocabulary, such as 'sustainability' and 'ecosystem.' However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and spelling errors, such as 'hole nature' (whole nature), 'less facilities' (fewer facilities), and 'sub-cities.' These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the range and precision of the language. To improve, the student should focus on collocations and more precise terminology related to environmental issues.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'Many countries' people' (People in many countries), 'if you do not recycle an one time use' (a one-time-use), and 'if people uses' (if people use). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of periods instead of commas in lists. The range of structures is sufficient, but the frequency of errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage would significantly improve the accuracy.

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