Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-21

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)

In many countries people do not recycle their rubbish. I think there are two main reasons for this, and there are some simple ways to solve the problem.

One reason is that many people are lazy or do not care. In our daily life we are busy with work, school and family. So it is easier to throw all rubbish in one bin than to separate plastic, paper and food waste. Also, some people do not know why recycling is important. They think that one person’s rubbish does not make a big difference.

Another reason is that recycling is not easy in some places. For example, in my city there are not enough recycling bins on the streets. People have to walk far to find a place to recycle. Some homes also do not have separate bins for different types of waste. Because of this, people just throw everything together.

First, governments should make recycling easier. They can put more recycling bins in parks, schools and near shops. They can also collect recycled rubbish from homes twice a week for free.

Second, people need to learn more about recycling. Schools can teach children from a young age. TV and social media can also show ads to tell people how recycling helps the environment and saves money. If people see that recycling is easy and useful, they will do it more.

In conclusion, people do not recycle enough because they are busy and because it is not convenient. But if governments make it easier and teach people more, I believe recycling rates will go up in the future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt clearly: reasons for low recycling rates and potential solutions. The ideas are relevant and logically structured. The position is clear throughout, and the arguments are supported with examples, such as the lack of infrastructure in the writer's city and the role of education. To reach a higher band, the development could be more sophisticated; for instance, instead of just stating that people are 'lazy', you could explore the psychological or systemic barriers to habit formation in more depth. Overall, the response is well-focused and fully answers the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is well-organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic, and the progression of ideas is logical. You use basic cohesive devices effectively, such as 'One reason is', 'Another reason is', 'First', and 'Second'. However, the transitions are somewhat mechanical and repetitive. To improve, you could incorporate a wider variety of linking words and phrases (e.g., 'Furthermore', 'Consequently', 'In light of this') to create a more fluid and sophisticated flow between sentences and paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task and allows for clear communication. You use topic-specific terms like 'rubbish', 'separate', 'waste', and 'recycling rates' correctly. However, the range is somewhat limited and relies on fairly common, everyday language. To achieve a higher score, you should attempt to use more precise or academic collocations and less common vocabulary. For example, instead of 'make a big difference', you could use 'have a significant impact', and instead of 'not easy', you could use 'inconvenient' or 'logistically challenging'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are grammatically accurate, and errors are rare and do not impede communication. You successfully use conditional structures ('If people see that...', 'If governments make it easier...'). To improve, you should aim to incorporate a greater variety of complex grammatical forms, such as passive voice constructions (e.g., 'Waste should be sorted at the source') or relative clauses, to demonstrate more flexibility. The current control is good, but the range of structures remains somewhat basic.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.