Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-19
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 5.0)
Nowadays, people do not recycle their rubbish as much as they could is becoming more common in many countries. One stratum of the society is of opinion that agree while other opinion that disagree. This essay will be discuss both sides and give my opinion.
On the one hand, people do not recycle their rubbish as much as they could has some disadvantages. Firstly, in many places, it is simply easier to throw rubbish into one bin than to separate glass, plastic and paper. For example, in Pakistan most house hold can not have separate recycle bin so people end of mixing their waste. Another reason that people do not understand the benefits of recycling. Therefore, it is clear that people do not rubbish their as much as they could recycling can be very useful.
On the other hand, recycling the rubbish has some advantages. Firstly government should make provides separate recycling bin and daily collection services. Countries like Germany and Sweden have very high recycling rates because the system is well organized. Secondly, education system camps in school and on social media can raise awareness on the environment impact on recycling. As a result it is very useful.
In conclusion, people do not recycling their rubbish as much as they could has both advantages and disadvantages. In my opinion that lack of knowledge and poor structure explain why people recycle less, these issues can be solved through better facilities and education. If governments become take the lead, recycling could become normal part of daily life for most people.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses both parts of the prompt (reasons and solutions). However, the essay suffers from a fundamental misunderstanding of the task type. You have treated this as a 'discuss both sides' essay (e.g., 'This essay will be discuss both sides'), whereas the prompt asks for reasons and solutions. Consequently, the content is somewhat misaligned with the instructions. While you provide relevant ideas like lack of facilities and education, the development is limited and repetitive. The introduction is also confusing, as it suggests a debate that does not exist in the prompt. To improve, ensure you strictly follow the specific question asked rather than using a generic essay template.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the logical progression is hindered by the misuse of cohesive devices. For example, the phrase 'On the one hand' is used to introduce reasons for not recycling, and 'On the other hand' introduces solutions, which is an incorrect application of these contrastive markers. Furthermore, the referencing is often unclear, and some sentences are disjointed. While there is an attempt to use linking words like 'Firstly' and 'In conclusion', the overall flow is mechanical and sometimes confusing due to the structural errors in the introduction and body paragraphs.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally limited and repetitive. You frequently repeat the exact phrasing from the prompt ('people do not recycle their rubbish as much as they could'), which does not demonstrate a range of vocabulary. There are also errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'house hold can not have separate recycle bin' and 'education system camps'. To achieve a higher band, you need to use a wider range of topic-specific vocabulary (e.g., 'waste management', 'infrastructure', 'environmental awareness') and avoid repeating the prompt's language. Spelling is generally acceptable, but the lack of precision in word choice limits the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with subject-verb agreement ('government should make provides'), missing articles ('in school', 'on social media'), and awkward sentence structures ('people do not rubbish their as much as they could'). You rely mostly on simple sentences, and attempts at more complex structures often result in errors, such as the run-on sentences in the introduction. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, correct verb forms, and the proper use of articles. Reducing the frequency of these errors is essential for moving to a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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