Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-08-28

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 5.5)

Some people argue that recycling is not the solution to clean the environment and believe that we need to consume less. On the other hand, A group of people believe that if you want to grow environment then do recycling more and more. I agree with people who said that recycling is not enough we need to consume less but recycling is also essential part for growing environment.

According to the first one view where people concern for the environment growing and wants to people are choosing to recycle are absolutely right. Since as much people recycle things are used again and again and it's good for people. By recycling, natural resources are used in less amount and prevent pollution and waste. Plastic, glass, papers are reusable.

Other perspective, they believe we need to consume less and this is good suggestion but if we consume less even then recycling is still happens.

but they suggest that we need to consume less to protect our environment.

From my perspective, recycling is substantial part to protect our environment because it's prevent pollution. It is making sense that people consume less but there is no outcomes after consuming less because recycling is still happening.

Additionally, I have a real life example if we are not concern to protect our environment their consequences are excessively dangerous. I'm eye witness, without recycling people burn left outs and it cause severe pollution. Sometimes it's really difficult for the animals also because here and there are a lot of cats and dogs and we almost daily hear the news that cats are injured because of left out. For me, this is another main reason that recycling is essential.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a personal opinion, meeting the basic requirements of the prompt. However, the development of ideas is limited. The discussion on 'consuming less' is underdeveloped and lacks depth, relying on repetitive assertions rather than exploring the environmental or economic implications. The argument that 'recycling is still happening' even if we consume less is a weak point that is not logically expanded. While the personal example regarding animals is relevant, it is somewhat anecdotal and does not fully support the broader debate about consumption versus recycling. To improve, you should provide more detailed explanations and examples for each perspective.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical progression is often hindered by awkward transitions and repetitive phrasing. For example, the transition 'Other perspective' is grammatically incomplete and abrupt. Cohesive devices are used, but they are often mechanical or misused, such as the repetitive use of 'recycling is still happening' or 'for me'. The referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the flow of the argument. Paragraphing is present, but the internal structure of the paragraphs lacks the necessary cohesion to guide the reader smoothly through the points being made.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally basic and repetitive. You rely heavily on simple terms like 'good', 'people', and 'things'. There are attempts to use more academic vocabulary, such as 'substantial' and 'consequences', but these are often used in contexts that lack precision or correct collocation. For instance, 'grow environment' is not a standard collocation. The range is sufficient to communicate the basic message, but it lacks the flexibility and precision required for higher bands. To improve, focus on learning topic-specific collocations related to environmental issues and avoiding the repetition of simple words.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'it cause severe pollution'), incorrect article usage, and awkward sentence construction (e.g., 'Since as much people recycle things are used again'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. You should focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed accurately.

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

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