Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-11-13

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Concern for the environment is growing and more and more people are choosing to recycle. But some people suggest that recycling is not enough. They believe we need to consume less.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

People have differing views with regard to recycle, with some believing that we need recycling as much as possible, while others consider that recycling is not enough, instead, we should consume less. However, In my opinion, I believe that recycling is the only practical way that is actually applicable.

To commence with, why people believe that excessive recycling is the only way to treat environment. One of the major reasons associated with this is that governments incentive. To explain it, governments introduced proper oversight with regard to recycling. They encourage people not to throw their waste, instead, they offer exchange in terms of introducing numerous incentive. For example, in recent years, several developed countries introduced dispose vending machine, where people can exchange their waste with money. This approach is appealing worldwide, and several countries trying to adopt this. Furthermore, there is no compelling reason to destroy our own nature. Therefore, we should help governments to evolve this initiate.

On the other hand, those who consider not only recycling is enough but also we need to consume less. This is because they think by consuming less we can save our nature. For example, instead of buying packaged food, we must buy food that is organic. Another important point is that the more we use fossil fuel based vehicles, the worse our environment situation becomes. With regard to pollution, we may use electric vehicles as well as moving to bicycle would be more beneficial. Consequently, people need to be more concern about their nature, and also encourage other to do so. Therefore, children must be taught at school about environmental policy, and how we can actually save nature.

In conclusion, although consuming less can cause less pollution, I believe that it is not practical to be implemented. Instead, encourage recycling more will be beneficial and cost-effective.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both recycling and consuming less, and your position—that recycling is the more practical option—is stated in the introduction and repeated in the conclusion. The examples of deposit-return vending machines, packaged food, and vehicle choices are relevant to the environmental topic. However, the two views are not developed equally: the recycling paragraph focuses mainly on government incentives, while the case for reducing consumption is presented through brief suggestions rather than a fuller explanation of how lower consumption reduces waste or resource use. Your claim that recycling is “the only practical way” is also stronger than the support provided, and the conclusion does not explain why consuming less is impractical. Develop the reasoning behind your position and connect each example more explicitly to the task’s central debate.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. This makes the discussion easy to follow, and signposts such as “On the other hand” and “In conclusion” help identify the stages of the argument. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. The opening of the first body paragraph, “why people believe that excessive recycling is the only way,” does not form a complete sentence and does not clearly follow the stated view. “Therefore” is also used repeatedly without always showing a distinct consequence. Within paragraphs, ideas sometimes shift quickly—for example, from electric vehicles to teaching children—without a linking explanation. Use clearer topic sentences and show how each example supports the paragraph’s main point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of environmental vocabulary, including “recycling,” “fossil fuel based vehicles,” “pollution,” and “incentive,” and the meaning is generally understandable. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “with regard to” and “compelling reason.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, which limits precision: “governments incentive,” “dispose vending machine,” “evolve this initiate,” and “more concern about their nature” do not express the intended meanings naturally. Repetition of “nature” and “beneficial” also makes the vocabulary less flexible. Build accuracy by learning common environmental collocations, such as “government incentives,” “deposit-return machines,” and “protect the environment,” and check word forms when editing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “while,” “because,” and “although,” and most of the argument remains understandable. However, errors in sentence construction and grammatical forms recur. “To commence with, why people believe…” is a fragment, while “although consuming less can cause less pollution, I believe that it is not practical to be implemented” has an unclear construction. There are also issues with agreement and verb forms, as in “several countries trying to adopt this,” and with articles or plurals in phrases such as “introduced proper oversight” and “numerous incentive.” Some punctuation choices, particularly the comma splice in the opening sentence, affect control. Practise complete topic sentences and review agreement, articles, and clause structure when proofreading.

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