Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-10-02

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)

Recycling is becoming a priority for people due to the increasing concern for the environment. However, few individuals recomment that it is not enough, people should consume less. I believe we should look for sustainable practices which can help us to protect the environment.

People are prioritizing to recycle products which are leaving a negative impact on enviornment because after the industrial revolution there is a surge in the pollutants being released into the environment which lead to increased temperature, polluted air, and unexped rainfall. For example, the plastic bottles which take hundreds of years to decompose in the environment are recycled by some individuals and converted into useful things such as shoes, and clothes. As a result, there are established factories which are recycling these plastic bottles into these products.

Moreover, people who recommend that people should consume less as recycling is not enough because in this era of modern world people are buying more things which they require as a result it increases the demand of those things that leads to the consumption of natural resources. For example, clothing industry uses a lot of water to dye the clothes which results in the production of unusable water for biodiversity. When people buy extra clothes it will increase its demand which will result in the more consumption of water. I believe with this practice we can acheive temprorary solution of the problem instead we should look for sustainable practices which can help us meet the consumer demand and also protect the environment.

In conclusion, recycling as well as consuming less are important aspects of protecting the environment. However, governments should also invest in sustainable practices of producing goods which can help in creating healthy environment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both recycling and consuming less, while presenting a personal opinion. However, the development of ideas remains somewhat limited and superficial. For instance, the discussion on plastic bottles and the clothing industry touches on relevant points regarding environmental impact, but these ideas are under-developed and lack extension. The position is stated in the introduction and conclusion, but the reasoning throughout the body paragraphs tends to be repetitive rather than thoroughly explored. To reach a higher level, the ideas need to be more fully extended and supported with clearer, more robust examples and more direct engagement with the prompt's core tension.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a general attempt to organise the response into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Overall arrangement shows a basic coherence; however, progression is occasionally hindered by mechanical or repetitive cohesive devices, such as the overuse of phrases like 'For example' and 'Moreover'. Referencing and logical links between sentences can also be somewhat faulty, making the flow less than smooth. For instance, transitional phrases feel abrupt at times. To progress further, the writer needs to use a wider range of cohesive devices more flexibly and ensure that logical relationships between sentences and paragraphs are managed with greater precision.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to communicate main ideas about the environment and consumption. However, the range is limited and contains noticeable errors in word choice, spelling, and word form, such as 'recomment' instead of 'recommend', 'enviornment' instead of 'environment', and 'unexped' instead of 'unexpected'. There are also awkward collocations and lexical inaccuracies, such as 'unusable water' instead of 'wastewater' or 'polluted water', and 'acheive temprorary solution'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they restrict the score. To improve, the writer should incorporate less common lexical items accurately and pay closer attention to spelling and precise word choice.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response displays a limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on basic patterns alongside some attempts at complex sentences. These attempts at complexity are often faulty, featuring frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that can cause some difficulty for the reader. Examples include run-on sentences and punctuation issues in the opening paragraph, such as comma splices ('...it is not enough, people should consume less'). There are also errors in verb patterns and subject-verb agreement, such as 'people who recommend that people should consume less as recycling is not enough because...'. To achieve a higher band, the writer must demonstrate better control over a wider variety of complex structures and reduce the frequency of grammatical errors.

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

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