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)

In recent years, environmental degradation has prompted a global shift toward more sustainable practices. while a significant portion of the population views recycling as the primary soluation to environmental issues, others argue that recycling alone is insufficient and that a fundamental reduction in consumption is required. In my opinion, while recycling play a vital role in waste management, reducing consumer demand is a far more effective long term strategy for preserving the planet. On the other hand, recycling is a practical and widely adopted method to mitigue environmental damage. It prevents massive volumes of waste from ending up in landfiles or polluting marine ecosystems. for instance, recycling aluminum can and plastic bottles saves substaintial amounts of energy compared to manufacturing these items from raw materials. Furthermore, recycling initiative have successfully raised public awarness about environmental responsibility, making it an easy and accessible way for ordinary citizens to contribute to conversation efforts on a daily basis. Moreover, recycling is merely a treatment of symptoms rather than a cure for the root cause of environmental strain. The process of recycling itself requires significant energy, transportations and industrial processing. which generates its own carbon footpint. Probably, many materials particularly plastics, can only be downcycled a limited numbers of times before they become unuseable waste. Therefore, focusing solely on recycling creates a false sense of environmental security while, allowing hyper consumerism to continue unheacked. Ultimately, true sustainability can only be achieved by consuming less. reducing the purchase of single use items opting for durable goods, and curbing unnecessary purchases drastically diminishes the demand for manufacturing and resources extraction. when communities prioritize reduction over desposal, fewer raw materials are stripped from nature, less industrial pollution is created, and the entire lifecycle of waste is bypassed entirely. Last but not the least, although recycling offers can be important immediate defens against mountaing landfill waste it is not a standalone solution.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address both views and state a clear position: recycling is useful, but reducing consumption is more effective. The discussion is relevant and supported with examples, such as the energy saved by recycling aluminium and the impacts of buying fewer single-use items. You also explain why recycling alone cannot resolve the problem, including its energy demands and the limits of downcycling. This gives the response a clear, developed argument. To strengthen it further, develop the recycling viewpoint with a little more explanation of when it can be especially effective, and make the final conclusion more complete: the last sentence acknowledges recycling’s value but does not clearly restate your overall judgement. Some claims, such as reduction being the only route to sustainability, would also benefit from qualification or specific support.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has identifiable stages: an introduction, discussion of recycling, reasons to reduce consumption, and a closing statement. However, the progression between these stages is not consistently clear. The recycling paragraph moves from benefits to public awareness, then the next paragraph begins with “Moreover” even though it introduces a contrast and limitation; a clearer transition such as “However” would show the relationship. The reduction paragraph also runs into the conclusion without a clear paragraph break, making the final point difficult to distinguish. Several linking expressions, including “Furthermore,” “Moreover,” “Therefore,” and “Last but not the least,” are used mechanically or inaccurately. Organise each main view in a distinct paragraph, use transitions that express the actual logical relationship, and make the conclusion a separate, concise summary.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonably broad range of topic vocabulary, including “environmental degradation,” “marine ecosystems,” “downcycled,” and “raw materials,” which helps communicate the argument. There are also attempts at less common phrasing, such as “false sense of environmental security.” However, spelling errors and inaccurate word forms are noticeable, for example “soluation,” “mitigue,” “landfiles,” “substaintial,” and “unuseable.” Some collocations are also awkward, including “conversation efforts” and “resources extraction,” and “transportations” is not the natural form in this context. These errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main ideas, but they reduce precision and control. Proofread carefully and check unfamiliar vocabulary in context, especially spelling, countability, and common word partnerships.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including contrast clauses (“while…”) and cause-and-effect explanations, so there is some range. However, errors in sentence boundaries, agreement, and clause construction recur. For example, “recycling play a vital role” has a subject–verb agreement error, while “The process… industrial processing. which generates…” incorrectly separates a dependent clause from its main clause. The opening “while” and several sentence beginnings are also not capitalised, and the final section has a fragment-like sequence: “consuming less. reducing the purchase…” These issues make some relationships between ideas less clear. Practise checking each sentence for a complete main clause, correct agreement, and appropriate punctuation; then retain the complex structures while making them more reliable.

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