Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-06

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people claim that not enough of the waste from homes is recycled. They say that the only way to increase recycling is for governments to make it a legal requirement.

To what extent do you think laws are needed to make people recycle more of their waste?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

NOWADAYS, MANY PEOPLE ARGUE THAT RECYCLING SHOULD BE A LEGAL REQUIRMENT, BECAUSE MANY OF THE WASTE FROM FAMILIES IS NOT RECYCLED . IN MY OPINION , I AGREE WITH THEM AND THE GOVERNMENTS SHOULD MAKE STRICKT LAWS TO INSURE THAT , BUT ALSO PROVIED ALL THE FACILITIES .

ON THE ONE HAND , IN MNAY CITIES THERE IS A LACK OF FACILITIES THAT WOULD MAKE THE PROCCES OF RECYCLING ESSAY TO GO . FOE EXAMPLE, THERE NO ENOUGH PUBLIC TRASHS IN THE AND MOST OF THEM THEY ARE NOT SPECILISTED , SO THE GOVERNMENTS SHOULD PROCIED MORE OF THEM AND FROM ALL THE TAYPS ( PAPER, PLASTIC, FOOD ... ) , SO ON THE PEOPLE WILL KNOW WHERE TO PUT THIER WASTE .

ON THE OTHER HAND, WHEN THERE IS THIS HELPFULL FACILITIES , THERE SHOULD BE LAWS TOO , BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE DON'T RESPECT THE RULES AND THEY THROUGH THEIR TRASH EVERYWHERE , WHICH IS A HARMFULL BEHAVIOUR TO THE ENVIRONMENT. IN CONTRAST , IF THERE IS LAWS THAT PUNCH PEOPLE FOR HARMING THE SOCEITY BY THEIR WASTES , MOST OF THEM WILL BE MORE CAREFULL ABOUT WHERE TO PUT IT , AND ALWAYS TRY TO AVOID THE CONSEQUNCES OF BROKING THE RULES.

IN THE CANCLUSTION, TAKING CARE OF THE NATURE AND THE OLACE WHERE WE LIVE IS NOT THE RESPONSIBILTY OF THE GOVERNMENTS ONLY , BUT IT'S ALL FOR US TO PROTECT IT AND MAKE IT A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE BY RECYCLING THE WASTE FROM OUR HOMES . BUT I STRONGLY BELEIVE THAT WITH STRONG LAWS AND SOME PUNCHMENT THE MAJORTY OF PEOPLE WILL FOLLOW IT AND MAKE THE RECYCLING PROCCES MORE SPEARED IN THE WORLD .

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you agree that laws are needed, while also arguing that governments must provide suitable recycling facilities. Both parts are relevant, and the examples about separate bins and penalties help explain your view. However, the discussion is unevenly developed. The facilities paragraph explains the practical problem, but the point that people “don’t respect the rules” is broad and would be stronger with a specific example or explanation of how penalties would change behaviour. The conclusion also introduces shared responsibility, but this idea is not developed in the main paragraphs. To strengthen the response, explain more fully why legal requirements are necessary and how they could work alongside accessible facilities.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs signposted by “On the one hand” and “On the other hand,” and a conclusion. This makes the main line of argument easy to identify. Some connections, however, are mechanical or unclear. “In contrast” does not clearly express the relationship between the preceding point and the idea about laws, while “so on the people will know” makes the link between facilities and correct sorting awkward. References such as “it” and “them” are not always precise, particularly in the conclusion. Use linking expressions that show the exact relationship between ideas, and make pronoun references explicit to improve the flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “recycling,” “facilities,” “environment,” and “consequences,” and you attempt more specific terms such as “public trash bins” and “penalties.” However, spelling errors and inaccurate word choices are noticeable and sometimes make the reader pause: examples include “requirm ent,” “strickt,” “procc es,” “punchment,” and “speared.” Some combinations are also unnatural, such as “specialised” bins where “separate recycling bins” is intended, and “punish people for harming the society by their wastes.” Build accuracy by checking spelling and learning common collocations in context. A more precise vocabulary range would help express your ideas without relying on repeated general words such as “people,” “waste,” and “laws.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a conditional structure in “if there is laws … most of them will be more careful,” and you use clauses to explain causes and results. However, grammatical control is inconsistent, especially in longer sentences. For example, “there no enough public trashs” is missing a verb and has an incorrect plural form, while “most of them they are not” contains an unnecessary repeated subject. There are also agreement and article problems in “there is laws” and “the governments should,” and punctuation spacing is often distracting. Practise forming accurate subject–verb patterns and checking each sentence for a clear subject and verb. Shorter, well-controlled sentences can support your more complex attempts.

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.