Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-09-06

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 5.0)

Rubbish has significantly damage the environment,and in many countries individuals are not able to recycle their waste and garbage as much as they could. This is mainly due to a lack of awareness and inadequate recycling facilities. However, this issue can be addressed through public education and better waste-management system.

There are several cause to having people do not recycle their household rubbish. Firstly the primary cause would be lack of awareness, many citizen of country are illiterate who do not understand the environment consequences of failing to recycle. For example, in developing countries such as Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh nationalities has lack in awareness education of negative effect to environment and people health after throwing wastes and do not recycle the garbage, this eventually leads to significant problems. Another major cause could be poor waste management system and inconvenience. In some areas governments failed to provide separate bins for different type of waste. Similarly, recycling services and collection facilities may not be easily available.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 165 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas. While you have identified the causes (lack of awareness and poor infrastructure), the second part of the prompt—what can be done to change this—is only mentioned in the introduction and not developed in the body paragraphs. To achieve a higher band, you must provide a full, balanced essay that explores both parts of the question with sufficient supporting evidence and examples. The current length prevents a full development of your arguments.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, and there is a basic attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'Firstly' and 'Another major cause'. However, the progression of ideas is limited due to the brevity of the text. The transition between the introduction and the body is abrupt, and the lack of a conclusion or a developed solution paragraph makes the overall structure feel incomplete. To improve, ensure each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that you use a wider variety of linking words to connect your ideas more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You use some relevant terms like 'waste-management system' and 'recycling facilities', but there are errors in word form and collocation, such as 'Rubbish has significantly damage' (should be 'damaged') and 'many citizen of country are illiterate' (should be 'citizens of many countries are illiterate'). The phrasing is often repetitive and lacks the sophisticated control needed to express complex ideas clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('There are several cause', 'nationalities has lack') and tense errors ('Rubbish has significantly damage'). The sentence structures are relatively simple, and there is a lack of complex grammatical forms. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, specifically subject-verb agreement and correct verb tenses, before attempting more complex structures. Proofreading for these basic errors is essential.

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

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