Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-09-12

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)

Concern for environment is often growing as more people are choosing to recycle but some suggest recycling is not enough as they believe we need to consume less.I believe both are as important as each because both ways can be used effectively to build an eco-friendy environment.

Recycling is probably one of the best method to keep the society clean.Government should come up with some effective procedures that would help people recycle their waste easily.They should provide the facilities that would reduce the ratio of garbage such as providing various tarsh bins across streets and a garbage truck that would collect the trash on a regular basis.They should also implement some strict rules about people not throwing garbage around their area.People who are not following such rules and continues to harm their surroundings by throwing waste shoud be pennalised.

On the other hand,consuming less products is also a effective way to control environmental waste.If individuals stop the usage of unnecessary use of products that are not required by them will lead to a much cleaner habitat.By controlling the excessive use of such items could benefit both the society and ecosystem.Government should limit the purchase of the items that are bought by citizens according to their needs.The products which are hazardous for social surroundings should be banned.If such circumstances remained unchecked,the environment will suffer.

In conclusion,the environment can grow socially and economically if residents focus on recycling and consuming less by reducing the use of items that are essential.By taking such steps they can save their surroundings.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both recycling and consuming less, while also presenting a clear overall position in the introduction that both are important. Main ideas are introduced, such as government involvement in waste management and placing limits on consumption. However, these ideas tend to be somewhat repetitive and lack deep development or specific supporting examples. For instance, the discussion on consumption suggests governments limit purchases, which is a somewhat underdeveloped or extreme idea without further elaboration. Therefore, the response aligns best with Band 6, where all parts are addressed, but some ideas remain under-developed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is arranged into four paragraphs, including an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion, giving it a coherent overall structure. However, there are noticeable mechanical issues with cohesion and spacing, such as missing spaces after punctuation marks throughout the text (e.g., 'less.I believe', 'easily.They should'). Paragraphing is attempted, but transitions between sentences and ideas can feel abrupt. Referencing is generally clear, but the lack of proper spacing and limited use of sophisticated cohesive devices restricts the score to a Band 5.5 or 6.0. Awarding a 5.5 reflects the mechanical cohesion flaws that distract the reader.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'eco-friendly', 'hazardous', and 'ecosystem'. However, there are several lexical errors and awkward collocations, such as 'reduce the ratio of garbage' instead of volume, 'tarsh' instead of trash, and 'pennalised' with a spelling error. The phrase 'consuming less products' could be expressed more naturally. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the general meaning, these persistent inaccuracies in spelling and word choice place the response firmly in the Band 6 category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as conditional structures ('If individuals stop the usage...'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement and article usage, such as 'Concern for environment' (missing article), 'one of the best method' (plural required), and 'continues to harm' (tense inconsistency). Punctuation and spacing errors are also prevalent throughout the text. These errors do not entirely impede communication, but they occur with enough frequency to prevent the essay from reaching Band 6.5, making Band 6 the most accurate descriptor.

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

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