Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-17

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 6.0)

The reuse of waste materials has been a major problem across many countries. They often discard things like water bottles that can easily be circulated. This essay will explore the reasons behind this phenomenon and assess how it can be changed.

One primary reason is the lack of awareness amongst the public regarding this issue. Public schools and advertisements fail to teach how to sort items like plastic and paper. Moreover, the absence of strict government rules in many countries, has given people the freedom to throw away all of the trash together in a bin. Additionally, there are no proper disposal sites or teams dedicated to ensure appropriate collection of trash. For example, in Pakistan the dearth of bins, forces people to litter the streets and this leads to piles of rubbish gathering up across various places.

To implement better waste management requires government efforts. Firstly, media campaigns should be run to educate the public on how different things can be re-utilized. For instance, empty water bottles or jars can be reused as planters and organizers. Furthermore, authorities can make sorting trash mandatory and fine households and companies that mix recyclables with normal trash. Colored bins can be placed in public places to help individuals distinguish between different types of materials.

In conclusion,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt, identifying reasons for low recycling rates and suggesting solutions. However, the essay is significantly under the 250-word minimum, which limits the depth of the arguments. The conclusion is incomplete, consisting only of the introductory phrase, which negatively impacts the overall task completion. While the ideas presented—such as lack of public awareness and the need for government-led sorting mandates—are relevant, they are not fully developed due to the brevity of the response. To reach a higher band, you must ensure all sections, including the conclusion, are fully written and arguments are expanded with more detailed supporting evidence.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay follows a logical structure with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph has a central theme, and cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Additionally', and 'Firstly' are used to link ideas. However, the abrupt ending at 'In conclusion,' indicates a failure to manage the structure of the essay effectively. While the progression of ideas is generally clear, the lack of a proper conclusion disrupts the overall coherence. To improve, ensure that you manage your time effectively to complete all sections of the essay, providing a summary that synthesizes the main points discussed in the body paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the message to be conveyed clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'waste management', 'recyclables', and 'disposal sites'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on simpler phrasing. There are also minor issues with word choice, such as 'circulated' when referring to waste, which is not the most natural collocation in this context. To achieve a higher band, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary and idiomatic collocations related to environmental issues.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as the unnecessary comma in 'in many countries, has given' and the awkward phrasing in 'To implement better waste management requires government efforts', where the subject-verb agreement is slightly off. Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear throughout. To improve, focus on refining your sentence construction and ensuring that complex structures are used accurately. Pay closer attention to punctuation, particularly avoiding unnecessary commas between subjects and verbs.

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

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