Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-09-08

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)

It is often argued by some people that to protect the environment, it is essential to recycle waste. Meanwhile, others argue that recycling is not enough to reduce climate changes, we should consume less or use these types of products that cause waste. However, I believe people should recycle rubbish, through this activity, the environment would be beneficial.

On the one hand, supporters believe it is enough to recycle human trash to preserve the climate. As if all of the waste could be reprocessed, there would be no chemicals to damage the environment. Take the example of Japan, in recent days, their climate is quite clear most of the time, mainly because their government launched an initiative about recycling processing in 2007, in the following years, their air quality index has decreased rapidly. Thus, it is proven that through the development of reprocessing of waste, the climate would be clear and clean.

While on the other hand, advocates of view people just not rely on the recycling process, they should reduce their consumption. As with the less use of plastic products, the waste of these types of products is reduced. For instance, in New Zealand, it is expected that by the year 2037, the environment there would be cleaner and quieter compared with the present, mainly because they have too much focus on using fewer plastic products. Hence, using or consuming fewer products, that produce huge waste would be beneficial for the environment.

However, I believe that the recycling process has a massive impact on improving the climate. As waste is recycled and reused, there is no need to produce new plastic products.

To sum up, even though less use of plastic products has a positive impact on improving the climate, but I believe that reprocessing these types of trash would be more beneficial, as there is no need for new material to produce new products.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both views and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. While you mention Japan and New Zealand as examples, the connection between these examples and the arguments is not fully explained or logically sound (e.g., the claim that air quality improved solely due to a 2007 recycling initiative is a significant oversimplification). The argument for consuming less is also under-developed, as it relies on a vague future projection. To reach a higher band, you should provide more detailed explanations of how and why these strategies impact the environment, rather than just stating that they do.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. You use cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'While on the other hand', and 'To sum up' to signal transitions. However, some of the linking is mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as 'As if all of the waste could be reprocessed' or 'As with the less use of plastic products'. Additionally, some sentences are slightly disjointed, making the flow feel a bit repetitive. Improving the variety of your cohesive devices and ensuring they connect ideas more fluidly would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'reprocessed', 'advocates', and 'initiative'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and awkward collocations, such as 'climate is quite clear' (referring to air quality) and 'use these types of products that cause waste'. Some phrasing is repetitive, particularly the use of 'climate' and 'products'. To improve, focus on using more precise terminology related to environmental science and waste management, and ensure that your word choices are contextually appropriate to convey your meaning more effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally affect clarity. For example, 'advocates of view people just not rely on the recycling process' is grammatically incorrect. There are also issues with article usage ('the climate' vs 'climate change') and sentence fragments. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. You should focus on subject-verb agreement, correct preposition usage, and ensuring that your complex sentences are constructed accurately without missing auxiliary verbs.

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

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