Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-22

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 6.5)

In many countries, people do not recycle as much rubbish as they could. This is a serious environmental problem because a large amount of waste is sent to landfills every day. There are several reasons for this situation, but some effective steps can be taken to encourage people to recycle more.

One main reason is that many people do not have enough information about recycling. They may not know which items can be recycled or how to separate different types of waste. Another reason is that recycling facilities are not available in some areas. If recycling bins are far from homes or there are not enough collection services, people may simply throw everything into the same bin. In addition, some people believe that recycling takes too much time and effort.

There are several ways to solve this problem. First, governments should provide more recycling bins in residential areas, schools and public places. They should also organise regular waste collection services. Second, schools and the media can educate people about the importance of recycling and its benefits for the environment. Finally, governments could introduce rewards or financial incentives for households that recycle regularly. Fines could also be given to people who repeatedly ignore recycling rules.

In conclusion, people often fail to recycle because of a lack of knowledge, facilities and motivation. Better education, easier access to recycling services and suitable rewards or penalties can encourage people to recycle more and help protect the environment.

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 and logically presented. However, the response falls short of the 250-word minimum requirement (243 words), which negatively impacts the task achievement score. While the ideas are clear, they are somewhat brief and could have been further developed with specific examples or more detailed explanations to fully meet the length requirement and provide a more comprehensive discussion. The position is clear throughout, but the lack of sufficient length prevents it from reaching a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is well-organised with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic, such as the reasons for the problem in the second paragraph and solutions in the third. Cohesive devices like 'One main reason', 'Another reason', 'In addition', and 'Finally' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. The progression of ideas is logical, and the paragraphing is appropriate. The writing is easy to follow, and the relationship between ideas is clear throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate and appropriate for the task. The student uses topic-specific terms such as 'landfills', 'recycling facilities', 'collection services', and 'financial incentives'. While the range is sufficient to convey meaning clearly, it lacks the more sophisticated or less common lexical items that would be expected for a higher band score. The word choice is generally accurate, and there are no significant errors that impede communication. To improve, the student should aim to incorporate more precise collocations and a wider variety of academic vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay demonstrates a good command of grammar with a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are error-free, and the punctuation is used correctly. Examples of complex structures include conditional sentences ('If recycling bins are far from homes... people may simply throw...') and relative clauses. There are very few grammatical errors, and the writing is consistently clear. The control over tense and subject-verb agreement is strong. To reach a higher band, the student could experiment with a greater variety of complex grammatical structures to demonstrate more flexibility.

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

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