Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-25
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)
It is being observed that garbage is not recycled as much as it should in many countries. I believe that this is because people do not have enough time to sort their garbage and lack of proper facilities where garbage can be recycled.
The time in individuals lives is occupied by other tasks that they do not find enough time to recycle their garbage. It is convenient for them to dump everything in one bin rather than differentiating it as garbage or recycle. Moreover, if someone takes out some time from their busy life to recycle rubbish , they do not find enough recycling depots around them where they can take it. This discourage them from sorting their garbage.
To encourage people to recycle their trash , authorities should allocate them with different bins for garbage and recycle. This would make easy for individuals to sort their garbage. Also , government should open more recycling facilities where people can be paid for cans
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 163 words. Consequently, the ideas are significantly underdeveloped. While the essay identifies two reasons (lack of time and lack of facilities) and proposes two solutions (providing bins and financial incentives), the development is superficial. The arguments lack depth, specific examples, or a cohesive conclusion. Because the response is substantially under-length, it cannot fully address the task requirements, leading to a lower band score for task achievement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into three short paragraphs, which is a basic structure. There is some attempt at logical progression, using transition words like 'Moreover' and 'Also'. However, the cohesion is somewhat mechanical and the lack of length prevents the development of a sophisticated flow of ideas. Referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure feels incomplete due to the abrupt ending and the absence of a concluding paragraph, which is essential for a well-structured IELTS essay.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'sort their garbage' and 'recycle their trash' are used frequently. There is little evidence of less common or idiomatic vocabulary. While the meaning is generally clear, the range is limited, and there are minor issues with word choice, such as 'allocate them with different bins' (which should be 'provide them with'). To improve, you should incorporate more precise terminology related to environmental issues and waste management.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For example, 'It is being observed that garbage is not recycled as much as it should' (missing 'be'), 'The time in individuals lives' (missing possessive apostrophe), and 'This discourage them' (subject-verb agreement error). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to limit the score. A wider range of error-free complex structures is needed for a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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