Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-08-30

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 7.0)

Concern for the environment is increasing, and more people are recycling. However, some people believe that recycling is not enough and that we should reduce the amount we consume. This essay will discuss both views and explain why I believe reducing consumption is more important.

On the one hand, recycling is an effective way to protect the environment. Many materials, such as paper, glass, plastic and metal, can be recycled and used again. This reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and also saves natural resources. For example, recycling paper means that fewer trees need to be cut down. In addition, recycling can reduce the energy needed to produce some products from new materials. Therefore, encouraging people to recycle can have several environmental benefits.

On the other hand, recycling cannot solve all environmental problems. A large amount of waste is produced because people buy too many unnecessary products. Even if these products can be recycled, collecting and processing them still requires energy and resources. For example, people may buy new clothes frequently and throw away old ones, even when the old clothes are still usable. If people bought fewer clothes and used them for longer, there would be less waste in the first place.

In my opinion, both recycling and reducing consumption are necessary, but reducing consumption should be given more importance. Governments can encourage people to buy environmentally friendly products and avoid unnecessary packaging. They can also educate citizens about the effects of excessive consumption. At the same time, recycling facilities should be improved so that people can recycle more easily.

In conclusion, recycling is useful because it reduces waste and saves resources. However, simply recycling more is not enough. If people consume fewer unnecessary products and make more sustainable choices, the amount of waste produced can be reduced significantly.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt. You clearly discuss both the benefits of recycling and the argument for reducing consumption, while maintaining a consistent personal position throughout. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the point about the energy costs associated with processing recycled goods. To reach a higher band, you could provide more specific, real-world examples or data to support your arguments, such as mentioning specific government policies or global waste statistics, which would add further depth to your analysis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. You make effective use of cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'In addition', and 'At the same time' to link your points. The paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the overall clarity of the argument. The flow is smooth, and the relationship between ideas is consistently clear throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'natural resources', 'excessive consumption', and 'sustainable choices' are used accurately. While the vocabulary is appropriate and conveys your meaning clearly, it is somewhat functional. To achieve a higher band, you could incorporate more sophisticated collocations or less common lexical items, such as 'mitigate environmental degradation' or 'the throwaway culture', to show a greater degree of flexibility and stylistic awareness.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay displays a good command of grammatical structures. You use a mix of simple and complex sentences effectively, such as the conditional structure in the final paragraph: 'If people consume fewer... the amount of waste produced can be reduced'. The grammar is largely accurate, and there are no significant errors that impede communication. The punctuation is also handled well. To move toward a higher band, you could experiment with a wider variety of complex sentence forms, such as inversion or more advanced relative clauses.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.