Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-08-26

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)

There is no doubt that, clean environment is very necessary for living nowadays. Concern for the atmosphere is booming and majority of individuals are selecting to reuse whereas few masses argue that reprocess is not sufficient. They think we have to eat small. I support the former viewpoint.

On the one hand, a section of society believe that recycling plays a crucial role in protecting the environment and I agree with them. When materials such as glass, paper, plastic, metal and so on are recycled, they can be used again instead sent to landfills. this may reduces the waste and also saves natural resources. For example, recycling the paper can reduce the need to cut down the trees and also keep the environment safe. Furthermore, recycling can help people develop the environmentally friendly habits and make them more aware for the safety of environment.

On the other hand, opponents opine that recycling alone cannot solve the environment problems , it is necessary for individuals to reduce their consumption. It means that, if masses pay less on buying unnecessary things, less waste will be created. To exemplify with, instead of buying new clothes frequently, people can wear their existing cloths for a longer period or purchase second-hand items. Therefore, reducing consumption can prevent environmental damage before waste is even produced.

In conclusion, I believe that recycling is a useful method to keep the environment safe and clean. If the goods would be recycled and reused by individuals there may be less waste produced by masses whereas reducing unnecessary consumption will also be helpful to protect the environment for future generation.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the importance of recycling and the argument for reduced consumption. You clearly state your position in the introduction, although your initial stance is slightly contradictory as you support the 'former' (recycling) but then proceed to discuss both sides. The ideas are relevant, but the development is somewhat basic. For instance, the argument for reducing consumption could be expanded with more specific environmental impacts beyond just waste production. To reach a higher band, ensure your position is consistently maintained and that your supporting arguments are more thoroughly explored with deeper analysis rather than just listing examples.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central topic. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Furthermore' to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical. For example, the transition 'To exemplify with' is non-standard and awkward. Additionally, some referencing is slightly unclear, such as the use of 'this' in the second paragraph without a clear noun antecedent. Improving the variety of your linking words and ensuring that each sentence logically follows the previous one will help improve the overall cohesion of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on some repetitive or slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'clean environment is very necessary' and 'few masses'. The term 'reprocess' is used incorrectly in this context; 'recycling' is the standard term. You also have some collocation errors, such as 'aware for the safety' instead of 'aware of the importance'. To improve, focus on using more sophisticated collocations and academic vocabulary, and ensure that your word choices are contextually accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Common issues include article usage ('the environment' vs 'environment'), subject-verb agreement ('this may reduces'), and pluralization ('existing cloths' instead of 'clothes'). There are also some awkward phrasings, such as 'if the goods would be recycled', which is grammatically incorrect for a conditional structure. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article consistency will significantly improve your accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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