Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-10-01

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 do not recycle as much household waste as they could. This problem is mainly caused by a lack of awareness and convenient recycling facilities. However, governments can address this issue through public education and better waste management systems.

There are several reasons why people do not recycle their rubbish properly. Firstly, many individuals are unaware of the harmful effects of waste on the environment. For example, plastic bags and bottles can pollute rivers and oceans and harm wildlife. Secondly, recycling may be inconvenient in some areas because there are not enough recycling bins or collection services. As a result, people often throw all their rubbish into the same bin instead of separating recyclable materials. Moreover, some people believe that recycling takes too much time and effort.

There are several measures that could encourage people to recycle more. Governments should launch awareness campaigns through schools, television and social media to explain the importance of recycling. For instance, schools could teach children how to separate paper, plastic and glass from general waste. In addition, local authorities should provide separate recycling bins in residential areas and collect recyclable materials regularly. Financial incentives could also be introduced to motivate households to recycle. For example, families that recycle regularly could receive small discounts on their waste collection charges.

In conclusion, a lack of environmental awareness and inadequate recycling facilities are the main reasons why people fail to recycle enough. Governments can tackle this problem by educating the public, improving recycling services and providing incentives to encourage responsible behaviour.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by identifying both the causes of low recycling rates, such as a lack of awareness and inconvenience, and proposing viable solutions like education campaigns and better infrastructure. A clear position is maintained throughout the essay. The ideas are well extended and supported with relevant examples, such as mentioning plastic bags polluting oceans and introducing financial incentives like discounts on waste collection charges. While the ideas are generally well developed, some points tend to over-generalise slightly, which prevents the response from reaching the highest tier. Nevertheless, the coverage of the prompt is thorough and clearly organized.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The essay demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, starting with an introduction, moving to causes and solutions in well-defined body paragraphs, and concluding effectively. Cohesive devices are used flexibly and appropriately to connect ideas, such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'Moreover' in the second paragraph, and 'In addition' and 'For instance' in the third paragraph. Paragraphing is managed skilfully, ensuring the reader can follow the writer's line of thought without any confusion or disorientation.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

The writer uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow for some flexibility and precision. Less common lexical items are employed with an awareness of style and collocation, such as 'household waste', 'harmful effects', 'inadequate recycling facilities', and 'financial incentives'. Word choice and spelling are generally accurate throughout the response. Although there are occasional minor slips in vocabulary choice, the language used is more than adequate to convey precise meanings and maintain the reader's interest, reflecting a solid upper-intermediate control of vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5

The text exhibits a good variety of complex structures alongside simple sentences, resulting in frequent error-free sentences. The writer demonstrates good control of grammar and punctuation. Examples of successful complex structures include 'Although there are occasional...' and conditional-style reasoning such as 'families that recycle regularly could receive small discounts'. Verb forms, tenses, articles, and prepositions are handled accurately. While a few minor errors may persist, they do not impede communication, and the grammatical control overall supports a smooth and professional reading experience.

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