Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-28

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)

Rubbish is the cause of harmful diseases which might widespread if not properly taken care of. People in many countries throw their waste outside without thinking about the damage it may cause. Rubbish in any form provides home to flies and mosquitoes which when comes in contact with human can cause malaria and typhoid etc. So there should be proper waste management or recycling options available for local people.

In developed countries, people throw away items that can be used again if recycled properly. Items could be food items, furniture, wood, utensils, technological material or plastics and glass. When these items are thrown in the streets they could proved to be damaging for environment as well as living organisms so there should be proper landfills or dumpsites for waste. But, sometimes there are items like furniture or wood that can be recycled into a new piece of furniture and can be sold at lower price. Similarly, glass can also be recycled into any other form of decoration piece or crockery item. The process of recycling will not only improve the economy of the country but also help the middle income families buy stuff at lower prices.

The reason why people don't recycle as much as they could do is because they think they can buy new stuff and old stuff is meant to be discarded only. The problem lies in their mindset. In my opinion, government should take necessary options to raise awareness among people of how to efficiently recycle old items into newer ones and to effectively utilize them. Rich people can also recycle their used stuff and give it to poor for free this help the poor as well as create a sense of belonging in the society and portrays that rich people still have a soft corner for poor.

In conclusion, I would say that each country's government should take the crucial actions in order to not let the rubbish harm the environment.

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 is somewhat uneven. The first paragraph focuses heavily on the dangers of rubbish rather than explaining why people do not recycle. The second paragraph discusses recycling benefits but lacks a strong link to the 'why' and 'how' requested. The third paragraph provides a clearer reason (mindset) and a solution (government awareness/charity), but the suggestion of 'rich people giving stuff to poor' is a bit tangential to systemic recycling. To reach a higher band, ensure each paragraph directly answers the specific question asked and provides more depth on the 'how' (e.g., policy, infrastructure, education).

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, each with a central theme. There is a clear introduction and conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive. For instance, the transition between the problem of diseases and the need for recycling is abrupt. Some sentences lack smooth logical flow, such as the transition from discussing landfills to the economic benefits of recycling. While the progression is generally clear, the use of linking words could be more varied and sophisticated to better connect the ideas within and between paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'efficiently' and 'crucial actions'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'technological material' instead of 'e-waste' or 'electronic waste', and 'stuff' which is too informal for an academic essay. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise academic collocations and avoiding informal, generic nouns like 'stuff' or 'things'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('which when comes in contact' should be 'which when it comes into contact') and incorrect verb forms ('could proved to be' should be 'could prove to be'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some awkward phrasings that slightly impede the flow. While the errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the message, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher band score. More focus on complex sentence accuracy is needed.

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

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