Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-07-28

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 8.0)

Due to the concern for the environment, an increasing number of people are choosing to recycle; whereas I would argue that solely depending on recycling cannot fundamentally change the current situation, and that we need to reduce consumption at the same time.

First and foremost, it is worth acknowledging the significance of recycling. Not only can this approach make the most of a variety of resources but also can reduce the negative impact of human activities on environment. For instance, many marine animals are on the verge of extinction because of eating plastic waste released by factories. If households and factories had separated recyclable waste from other waste first, this phenomenon would not have happened in the first place. On the contrary, the resources saved by recycling can even be used for supporting animal conservation.

Besides recycling, reducing consumption is the key for preserving nature environment and wildlife. To illustrate this, if we can reduce unnecessary waste on water and other nature resources, manufacturers will accordingly reduce the number of activities that damage forest, cutting trees, which can absorb greenhouse gases and generate oxygen. In addition, decreased level of deforestation can preserve more natural habitats for wild animals. the number of tigers in the north part of China, for example, has been increasing since the government started encouraging the general public to use less and implementing strict policies on factories. As a result, humanity will be less likely to face recource depletion and our future generations may still be able to appreciate other species.

In conclusion, in order to protect the environment, governments ought to promote the idea of recycling and encourage citizens to use less because this holistic approach might be able to fundamentally improve animal welfare and save more environment resources, which is aligh with the concept of sustainability.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both the importance of recycling and the necessity of reducing consumption. Your position is clear from the introduction and is maintained throughout the essay. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the link between reduced consumption and the preservation of natural habitats. To reach a higher band, ensure that your examples are consistently precise; for instance, while the mention of tigers in China is relevant, ensure the connection to 'reducing consumption' is explicitly linked to the specific policy changes mentioned. Overall, the task is fully addressed with a logical progression of ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use a variety of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'First and foremost', 'On the contrary', and 'In addition'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two main arguments. The progression of ideas is smooth, and the relationship between sentences is generally clear. To improve, ensure that referencing is always precise; for example, in the third paragraph, the transition between 'reducing consumption' and the specific example of deforestation could be tightened to ensure the flow remains seamless throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'on the verge of extinction', 'resource depletion', and 'holistic approach' show a good command of language. There are occasional minor errors, such as 'nature environment' (should be 'natural environment') and 'aligh' (spelling error for 'aligned'). While the vocabulary is adequate and allows for flexibility, incorporating a few more sophisticated collocations or idiomatic expressions would elevate the response further. The current range is sufficient to convey your ideas clearly and effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as conditional sentences ('If households... would not have happened') and complex noun phrases. While there are some grammatical slips, such as 'the number of activities that damage forest, cutting trees' (which is slightly awkward) and the missing article in 'save more environment resources', these errors do not impede communication. The majority of your sentences are clear and well-structured. To achieve a higher band, focus on refining punctuation and ensuring consistent subject-verb agreement and article usage throughout the text.

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