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)

Although it is sometimes thought that recycling is a good option for protecting the environment while other people believe that not only recycling but also consuming less should be given more focus. In my opinion, I think that consuming less along with recycling is better solution than only recycling.

On the one hand, recycling non-biodegradable products including plastic, polythene, glass is a good way to improve our environment. Nowadays we are consuming more soft drinks, juices which are served in the plastic bottles or glasses in the restaurants. Moreover, if we do grocery shopping from local market, the seller gives this product in a polybag which is not biodegradable. These kinds of products should be recycled, otherwise it will greatly impact on our environment because it takes a long time to degrade or in many cases they do not degrade properly. As a result, our environment is hampering day by day. For recycling the glasses, they need to be burnt and this will help to rise the temperature and also create smokes.

On the other hand, if we give focus on less consuming along with recycling it will be beneficial for our environment. If we buy less plastic wrapped products like chips, soft drinks, chocolate, it will help to produce less plastics or polybags. In addition, if we give emphasis on buying fresh vegetables and fruits using our own clothing bags or jute bags it will also be good for the environment. For example, if we started buying less products which promotes the production of non biodegradable products, it will help to maintain an ecological balance. The government has the onus on providing strict rules on this. Therefore, it will help to maintain a sustainable environment.

In conclusion, while people may vary in their opinions, I think that we should give more emphasis on consuming less along with recycling rather than only recycling.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the view that recycling is crucial and the view that we need to consume less, while also clearly stating the writer's own opinion in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are generally relevant, but some points lack deeper extension and development. For instance, the discussion on recycling mentions that glass needs to be burnt which rises the temperature, but this point is slightly underdeveloped and imprecise. Similarly, the conclusion reiterates the position well. The overall stance is maintained throughout, fitting the Band 6 descriptor well.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay has a clear overall arrangement with a standard four-paragraph structure comprising an introduction, two body paragraphs representing the two views, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'In addition', and 'In conclusion' are used to signpost the progression of ideas, though referencing and linking are sometimes a bit mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different arguments, contributing to a coherent flow throughout the piece, aligning closely with Band 6 standards.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to the environment such as 'non-biodegradable products', 'ecological balance', and 'sustainable environment'. However, there are noticeable word-choice and collocation errors, such as 'our environment is hampering day by day' (instead of being harmed) and 'if we give focus on less consuming' (instead of reducing consumption). These minor inaccuracies do not impede overall communication, placing the response firmly at Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting conditional structures such as 'if we buy less plastic wrapped products... it will help to produce less plastics'. However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, such as the opening sentence which is a sentence fragment ('Although it is sometimes thought that...'), and issues with preposition use and verb forms like 'help to rise the temperature' instead of raise. Errors are frequent in more complex structures, but they rarely impede overall comprehension, reflecting a solid Band 5.5 to 6.0 performance.

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.