Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-24

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)

Recycling is significant practice for reducing waste and making pollution free environment. Waste management is main problem when recycling is not effectively done, to overcome this, countries should be focused on recycling their rubbish as much as they could. I strongly believe that recycling is best way to reduce pollution and protect the environment.

To commence with, people who do not recycle their rubbish are need to aware about the definite process and government policies about recycling because awareness and help of government can change their mindset plus there are many resources are available when government wants to help with this practice. For example, when local residents are aware about the scheme and regulations regarding waste management, they automatically support recycling., additionally, there should be more emphasis on recycle the rubbish as much as possible as it helps for efficient waste management.

While considering the need for recycling, I think it is individual's responsibility to contribute to this practice voluntarily and be responsible citizen rather than acting complete fool, moreover, Governments should also have to implement numerous programmes about recycling and take actively part in arranging such programmes for awareness. Many countries facing issues of pollution and high population so if they practice more and more recycling, they are benefited with less plastic waste and also there is sustainable environment for living.

To conclude, despite being problem of waste management, Humans can reduce it with really useful technique called recycling and take a actively part in doing it regularly to reduce pollution and scarcity of products.

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 suggestion that people should be 'aware' is a good starting point, but it lacks specific detail on how this awareness is achieved or why current efforts fail. The position is clear, but the arguments are repetitive, particularly regarding the role of government. To reach a higher band, you should provide more concrete examples, such as specific incentive schemes (e.g., tax breaks or deposit-return systems) rather than general statements about 'programmes'.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'additionally', and 'To conclude' to link your thoughts. However, some transitions feel mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'plus there are many resources are available'. Furthermore, the referencing is occasionally unclear; for example, the phrase 'despite being problem of waste management' lacks a clear subject. Improving the variety of your linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to their antecedents would enhance the flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. You rely on basic phrasing like 'significant practice', 'main problem', and 'best way'. There are also some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'acting complete fool' and 'take a actively part', which sound unnatural. To improve, focus on using more sophisticated vocabulary related to environmental issues, such as 'sustainability', 'waste mitigation', or 'civic duty', and ensure that your word forms (e.g., 'active' vs 'actively') are used correctly in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Common issues include missing articles (e.g., 'making pollution free environment'), incorrect verb forms (e.g., 'people who do not recycle their rubbish are need to aware'), and awkward phrasing. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. You should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles, as well as ensuring that your complex sentences are constructed with grammatical precision.

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

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