Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-08-12
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)
Pollution has become a serious threat for the environment now a days. In this industrialized world, there are plenty of sources contributing to pollute the environment. For example, waste materials, polluted water containing hazardous acid and smoke in the air. All these factors make the environment more dangerous for all species living in this planet. One of the best example of issues related to environment is climate change. This also has become dangerous for the world. Therefore, Human beings should take steps like recycling and reprocessing of waste materials, so that the environment can be protected.
Recycling is best strategy to reuse the material that is going to be the part of garbage. In this way, we can use it so many times in different types of product. For instance, Paper can be used for 4,5 times through this recycling process. In this way, high content of material can be saved and it results less expensive and useful strategy for the environmental safety.
However, some people think that recycling give a sense of more and more consumption of the thing because people do not care about the usage. They just think that this material can be recycled so we should use it as we can. They believe that consuming less will be more helpful for the environment. If we use less material and automatically consumption will be less. for example, clean and drinkable water should be safe for the next generation instead of consuming and wasting it more. Their thoughts are also useful and helpful to address the concerns about environment.
To conclude, Recycling is best strategy for addressing the issues related to environment but consuming less strategy will impede to cubing these environmental problems more.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both views regarding recycling and consumption, and a position is stated in the conclusion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention recycling as a strategy, the explanation of why 'consuming less' is superior or how they interact is not fully explored. The conclusion is slightly confusing, as the final sentence appears to contradict the prompt's premise by stating that consuming less will 'impede' environmental progress, which seems to be a misuse of vocabulary rather than a clear argument. To reach a higher band, ensure that your arguments are logically extended with more specific examples and that your personal opinion is clearly articulated throughout the essay.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices such as 'For example', 'However', and 'To conclude'. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the logical progression within paragraphs is occasionally disrupted by awkward phrasing. For instance, the transition between the benefits of recycling and the critique of consumption could be smoother. Additionally, the referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the final sentence where the connection between the two concepts is muddled. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear, unified focus will enhance the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. You rely on basic terms like 'best strategy' and 'useful and helpful' repeatedly. There are also some instances of word-choice errors, such as 'impede to cubing' in the conclusion, which is non-standard and obscures your intended meaning. To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific collocations related to environmental sustainability and avoid repeating simple adjectives. Expanding your range to include more sophisticated synonyms will help you convey your ideas with greater clarity and impact.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'pollution has become a serious threat for the environment now a days' (should be 'nowadays'), 'one of the best example' (should be 'examples'), and 'recycling give a sense' (should be 'gives'). Punctuation and article usage are also inconsistent. These errors do not typically impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles will significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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