Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-09-05

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)

In recent years, in many parts of the world individuals do not recycle their waste as they can. However, I believe that limited resources and poor government policies are considered leading causes of this concern, and how through providing proper resources and better government planning, this problem can be curtailed.

There are multiple causes associated with this problem. Firstly, limitations in resources are labelled as the root cause of this issue. As lack of proper facilities forces people not to do their tasks. Take an example of Nepal, in 2005, most of the population did not do their tasks related to waste recycling in society, mainly because they did not have proper facilities to perform them. Thus, it is proven that a shortage of facilities is the driving force behind this issue.

Secondly, poor government policies are another major fueling force behind this problem. As poor laws and regulations can indeed increase this problem. For instance, in Mongolia, it is expected that by the year 2035, their pollution index would be doubled, mainly because of ineffective government planning, people do not follow laws and regulations strictly. Hence, poor planning by the government can have a negative effect on people.

However, there are certain solutions available to overcome this problem. The primary solution, I believe would be providing proper facilities for recycling junk. As with the knowledge and resources, it's easy to do this activity. Furthermore, another effective solution would be to improve government policies. As strong laws and regulations can improve the situation.

To sum up, even though limited resources and poor government planning prevent people not to recycle rubbish, but I believe through proving more facilities and better government policies, this problem can be tackled.

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. The position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive and lacks depth. For example, the explanation for why people do not recycle in Nepal is vague, simply stating they 'did not have proper facilities' without explaining the nature of these facilities. Similarly, the solutions offered are quite general. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific, nuanced examples and elaborate on the 'how' and 'why' behind your arguments to ensure the ideas are fully extended rather than just stated.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the causes from the solutions. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. Phrases like 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'Furthermore' are used in a formulaic way. Additionally, some transitions between sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'As lack of proper facilities forces people not to do their tasks.' Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the flow of the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks sophistication. You rely on basic terms like 'proper', 'problem', and 'things'. While you attempt some topic-specific vocabulary such as 'pollution index' and 'recycling junk', the range is limited. There are also some minor collocation issues, such as 'fueling force' and 'curtailed' used in a context that feels slightly unnatural. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and synonyms to avoid repetition and demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors. For instance, 'prevent people not to recycle' is a double negative and grammatically incorrect. There are also issues with sentence fragments, such as 'As lack of proper facilities forces people not to do their tasks.' Punctuation is generally functional, but there are errors in sentence construction that occasionally impede the flow. Increasing the accuracy of complex sentence structures and avoiding basic grammatical slips will help improve your score.

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