Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-09-29

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 7.5)

In many countries, people fail to recycle their household waste as much as they could, despite the growing amount of rubbish produced every day. This is mainly because people lack awareness and convenient recycling facilities. However, governments and individuals can take several measures to improve recycling rates.

One major reason for low recycling rates is a lack of awareness about the environmental consequences of excessive waste. Many people do not understand how recycling can reduce pollution and conserve natural resources. In addition, recycling may seem inconvenient when separate bins are not easily available or when people are unsure about which materials can be recycled. For example, in areas where households have only one general waste bin, residents are less likely to separate plastic, paper and glass.

There are several ways to encourage people to recycle more. Firstly, governments should provide separate recycling bins in residential areas and ensure that recyclable waste is collected regularly. Secondly, schools and media campaigns can educate people about the importance of recycling and explain simple ways to separate waste at home. Financial incentives could also be introduced, such as discounts or small rewards for households that consistently recycle. For instance, local authorities could provide reward points to families that return plastic bottles or electronic waste to designated collection centers.

In conclusion, people recycle less than they could mainly because of insufficient awareness and a lack of convenient facilities. Governments can address this problem by improving recycling infrastructure, educating the public and introducing incentives, while individuals should make waste separation a regular part of their daily lives.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the task by clearly explaining why people fail to recycle as much as they could and suggesting effective measures to change this. The student successfully identifies two main causes—lack of awareness and inconvenient facilities—and supports them with clear explanations. Furthermore, the solutions proposed, such as improving infrastructure, public education, and financial incentives, are well-developed and supported by relevant examples, such as reward points for returning plastic bottles. The ideas are extended appropriately throughout the essay, demonstrating a clear and consistent position.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression from introduction to body paragraphs and a concluding summary. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic. Cohesive devices are used effectively and naturally to connect ideas, as seen with transition words like 'One major reason', 'In addition', 'Firstly', and 'Secondly'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, separating the causes and solutions into distinct sections. Referencing is clear throughout, making the overall flow smooth and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

The vocabulary used is sufficiently wide and precise for the task. The student successfully incorporates less common lexical items and subject-specific vocabulary related to the prompt, such as 'environmental consequences', 'conserve natural resources', 'infrastructure', and 'financial incentives'. Word choice and collocations are generally accurate and natural, for example, 'consistently recycle' and 'designated collection centers'. There are no spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication, demonstrating good control over lexical resources.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5

The response exhibits a wide range of sentence structures, successfully combining simple and complex forms. Examples of complex structures include conditional and subordinate clauses, such as 'when separate bins are not easily available or when people are unsure about which materials can be recycled.' The majority of sentences are error-free, and punctuation is handled well. Grammatical control is strong throughout the essay, with only very occasional, minor slips that do not interfere with readability or meaning.

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