Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-09-04

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 widely argued around the world that people can reuse their home waste such as plastic material but they are not doing that as they could. I think that people are not aware of its benefits and how to recycle their rubbish and it important for government to take some crucial measures to promote this recycling process like by giving incentives to local people who are involve in this process and giving subsidy to recycling industries.

Firstly, it is common fact that people around the world do not know how to use their litter and advantages which they get from this waste. So, that is reason mostly people prefer to throw waste. However, there are many items in the waste which can be reused such as plastic items and items related to wood. Nowadays, there is growing trend on social media that in which different artist used these waste and turn it into beautiful and useful items such as sceneries.

I believe that government could be the major play to enhance recycling. For example, officials related to this field could present themselves in sessions with useful artistic work , which basically make from their rubbish. Secondly, they can give incentives to local people who are involve in these kind of activities. For instance, it is common in wealthy nations in which government give small amount of money to people who help them to put palstic materi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt, identifying reasons for low recycling rates and suggesting solutions. However, the essay is incomplete, ending abruptly mid-sentence, which prevents a full development of the final point. Furthermore, the word count is 237 words, falling short of the 250-word minimum requirement. While the ideas are relevant, they are somewhat underdeveloped due to the lack of a conclusion and the unfinished nature of the final paragraph. To reach a higher band, you must ensure all parts of the prompt are fully explored and that the essay reaches the minimum length requirement to allow for a complete argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the flow is hindered by the incomplete nature of the text. While there are some attempts at cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'However', and 'Secondly', the transitions between ideas feel somewhat mechanical. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'advantages which they get from this waste', which lacks a specific antecedent. The lack of a concluding paragraph also means the essay lacks a sense of closure, which is essential for a coherent response. Improving the logical progression between sentences and ensuring a clear introduction and conclusion will significantly improve this score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. You use basic terms like 'rubbish', 'waste', and 'items' repeatedly. There are some attempts at more specific vocabulary, such as 'incentives' and 'subsidy', which is positive. However, there are errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'major play' instead of 'major role' and 'involve in' instead of 'involved in'. To improve, focus on using a wider range of topic-specific vocabulary and ensure that words are used in their correct grammatical form and context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'it important for government' (missing 'is'), 'people who is involve' (subject-verb agreement error), and 'make from their rubbish' (passive voice error: 'made from'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the placement of commas. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors limits the score. You should focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex sentence structures are constructed accurately.

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

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