Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

In many countries, people do not recycle their household waste as they could. this essay discusses the main reasons for this problem and also suggested some solution.

There are several reasons that do not recycle their waste. one reason is that they are not aware how water material in useful. Many people is unaware about recycling of rubbish. Another important reason is that they don't has recycling bins in their areas. For example, if recycling bins are not availing in neighbourhood, they will throw all rubbish in single bin which are not right for recycling. Another example is that od reason one some peoples may not know which items is used for rubbish. So, they put plastic bottles in other bin and newspaper in another bin.

There are several ways to encourage people for recycle more. Firstly, government should educate more people about why recycling is important and also tell the public about their advantages to public through schools and public awareness campaigns. Secondly, Government provide more bins to public so they can throw waste on bins. For example, local authorities could place separate bins for paper, plastic and glass in neighbourhoods, making recycling easier for everyone.

In conclusion, people do not recycle their rubbish because of lack of awareness and limited recycling bins. Government should encourage people by provided better facilities for recycling the water and educate people why this is important for growth in country and also important for pollution free society. For better result Government, school and other local authorise work together.

AI examiner evaluation

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 of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the explanation regarding why people do not recycle is repetitive, focusing mainly on a lack of bins and awareness. The examples provided, such as 'plastic bottles in other bin', are slightly unclear and lack depth. To reach a higher band, you should provide more detailed explanations and perhaps consider broader societal or economic factors. The position is clear, but the supporting arguments need more elaboration to fully satisfy the requirements of a Band 6 or higher.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use basic cohesive devices like 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'In conclusion' to signal transitions. However, the flow within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'Another example is that od reason one some peoples may not know which items is used for rubbish.' The use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive, and the logical progression between sentences could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring clearer pronoun references would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There are several instances of awkward word choices, such as 'water material' (likely meaning waste material) and 'pollution free society'. You also use 'water' instead of 'waste' in the conclusion, which is a significant lexical error. While you attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'local authorities' and 'public awareness campaigns', the overall range is limited. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive or misused terms.

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. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('Many people is unaware', 'they don't has'), article usage, and incorrect verb forms ('people for recycle', 'by provided'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with capitalization and sentence boundaries. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and verb tense consistency would be highly beneficial.

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

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