Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-10-11

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 6.0)

More people are recycling their products due to their growing concern for the environment; however, some suggest that recycling is not enough and believe that we need to consume less. Recycling is one of the best options to reduce the growing concerns about the environment. However, recycling alone is not enough, as it also requires energy and investment, so consuming fewer products will be helpful. From my perspective, either view alone is not enough, and we need to focus on both recycling and consuming fewer products to minimize environmental concerns.

Recycling helps reduce pollution that otherwise can harm humans, plants, and marine life. The toxic chemicals from industrial waste and households together pollute the water and even change the normal composition of soil when heavy metals react with others in soil. Therefore, recycling such products plays an essential role in overcoming the danger to some extent that these can cause.

For instance, recycling is reliable but not enough, as this process needs a lot of energy and sometimes the breakdown of some products can also cause pollution; therefore, consuming fewer products is also necessary. For example, the mobile phone recycling process needs a lot of electricity and transport facilities and the extraction of metals in the breakdown process can cause pollution. In addition, this process is very expensive in the case of recycling clothes, but if we buy a few pairs of clothes of good quality rather than buying 20 cheap ones, it will be more helpful and reduce environmental concern.

Overall, to control environmental concerns, one initiative step is not enough, we should focus and research different ways like shifting to renewable energy and a circular economy, to minimize the effects.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both views and state a clear position: recycling is useful, but reducing consumption is also necessary. The discussion of recycling’s benefits and its energy costs is relevant, and the phone and clothing examples help make the argument concrete. However, the two sides are not developed equally: the benefits of recycling are explained mainly through pollution, while the case for consuming less receives more specific support. Some claims, such as recycling being “one of the best options,” would benefit from explanation or evidence. To strengthen the response, develop each view with a clear reason and example, then explain more explicitly why your combined approach is preferable.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, discussion of recycling, a paragraph considering its limitations and reduced consumption, and a conclusion. The progression from the benefits of recycling to the need to consume less is generally easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “However,” “For instance,” and “In addition” help signal relationships. At times, though, cohesion is mechanical or the connection between ideas is unclear. For example, “For instance” introduces a general claim about recycling rather than a specific instance, and the final paragraph introduces renewable energy and a circular economy without developing their link to the preceding examples. Use more precise transitions and make each paragraph’s central point explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “industrial waste,” “marine life,” “heavy metals,” “renewable energy,” and “circular economy.” These terms help communicate relevant environmental ideas, and the meaning remains clear. There are, however, some imprecise or unnatural choices and repeated wording. “Growing concerns about the environment” is less natural than “environmental concerns,” while “one initiative step” and “overcoming the danger” do not express the intended ideas precisely. The phrase “the extraction of metals in the breakdown process” is also unclear. Aim for accurate collocations and avoid repeating “process” and “concerns”; this will make the argument sound more fluent and precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses with “as” and “when,” and most sentences communicate their meaning clearly. The opening sentence and the explanation of how heavy metals affect soil show an ability to connect related ideas. Some grammatical and punctuation errors remain. In the conclusion, “one initiative step is not enough, we should focus” joins two independent clauses with only a comma; use a full stop, semicolon, or conjunction. The sentence beginning “For example, the mobile phone recycling process…” also shifts awkwardly from singular “process” to “facilities” and then “extraction.” More consistent sentence construction and careful punctuation would improve control while preserving your range.

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