Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-11-04

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)

In recent years, there has been a growing concern about environment and some people argue that recycling of products will mitigate the issue while others believe that recycling is not enough rather we need to consume less. I strongly believe the second opinion and I will explain why.

The idea of recycling has been popular in recent years as it is cost efficient and it reduces the consumption of virgin material. Though the quality of recycled material reduces at a great extent, I would say that it reduces the emission of green house gases (GHG) which is the main cause of environmental pollution. As a result, reduction of GHG benefits the environment.

Now come to the bigger picture. After recycling, the products finally end up to the landfill which creates enormous amount of methane, a compound of green house gas. So, what could be the best way to mitigate the environmental problem? It would be less consumption of natural resources. One of the main reasons of producing green house gases is burning fossil fuels. Since those resouces are limited on earth, it will be finished within few years. As a result our next generation will face the lackings of these resources. So, in my opinion, we need to consume less resources by producing sustainable developments.

If we develop sustainable technologies, it will create the opportunity to use less natural resources. Recycling itself is the result of sustainability. We can refurbish and resue the products before landfilling by which we can make sure the consumption of less natural resouces. As a result, our environment will face less concern.

In conclusion, I greatly argue that, not only recycling but also less consumption of natural resouces will be the two best options to mitigate the environmental problems.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear: you favour consuming less, while acknowledging that recycling can reduce the use of virgin materials and greenhouse-gas emissions. This addresses both views and gives a relevant environmental rationale. However, the discussion is uneven: the case for recycling is brief, and the claim that recycled products “finally end up to the landfill” is presented too broadly and is not explained or supported. The argument for reduced consumption also relies on general statements about fossil fuels and future shortages, rather than a specific example or fuller explanation of how lower consumption would reduce environmental harm. Develop each side more evenly and support key claims with a concrete example to make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, separate paragraphs on recycling and reduced consumption, a paragraph on sustainable technologies, and a conclusion. The progression from recycling to the “bigger picture” is understandable, and linking expressions such as “As a result” help show cause and effect. However, these transitions are sometimes mechanical or repetitive, particularly the repeated use of “As a result” and “So.” The relationship between the sustainable-technology paragraph and the preceding argument could also be made clearer, since recycling is introduced again without a distinct new point. Use more varied, precise links and ensure each paragraph develops one clearly connected main idea.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “virgin material,” “greenhouse gases,” “landfill,” “fossil fuels,” and “sustainable technologies,” which allows you to discuss the issue. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “mitigate the environmental problem.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, including “cost efficient,” “reduces at a great extent,” “the lackings of these resources,” and “our environment will face less concern.” Spelling errors such as “resouces” and “resue” also reduce accuracy. These issues do not prevent the main message from being understood, but they limit precision. Check common collocations and spelling, and choose wording that expresses the intended relationship directly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including a concession beginning “Though the quality…” and a conditional sentence beginning “If we develop sustainable technologies…”. Most ideas remain understandable, and the paragraphing helps readers follow the argument. Some grammatical errors persist, however. For example, “concern about environment” needs an article, while “products finally end up to the landfill” has an incorrect preposition and article pattern. In “it will be finished within few years,” the pronoun reference and future construction are unclear, and “creates enormous amount” lacks an article. Review articles, prepositions, agreement, and pronoun reference, then proofread complex sentences to ensure their clauses are complete and clearly connected.

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