Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-09

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)

Recycling is an essential key that pushes the world towards the road of sustainability and helps the environment by recycling majority of the products. Plastic is a item which comprises of a material that cannot be recycled and remain in its original form. In this essay we will discuss the urgency of decisions that should be taken by authorities so that the situation do not get worse in future.

Plastic cannot be mixed with the environment and is non biodegradable and due to this reason it causes many environmental issues. Many plastic bags are found in the corners of footpaths which affects the surroundings and if the plastic gets burned it leads to air pollution which affects the respiratory organs of human body.

Air pollution rise with involvement of plastic and many diseases such as problem in breathing and respiratory organs are damaged, these are very dangerous as they can also lead to death.

Laws should be passed by the government so that the situation can be controlled. Official amendments like no use of plastic bags and plastic items can be implemented and if somebody gets caught using it they can be penalised or fined with a certain amount fixed by the government. Many schemes like if somebody recycles 10 items in a day they will be rewarded with hundred rupees by the government this will attract the public.

Overall, I think that it is very important to save our environment by recycling more items which can be helpful for the world and decrease the air pollution as well.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You take a clear position that government laws are important, and you offer relevant measures: penalties for using plastic bags and a reward for recycling ten items. The discussion of plastic litter and pollution also gives some support for why action is needed. However, the response only partly answers the question because it focuses mainly on plastic and environmental harm, rather than explaining whether laws are necessary compared with other ways to encourage recycling. The opening claim that plastic “cannot be recycled” is also inaccurate and weakens the argument. Develop the central reasoning by explaining how legal requirements would change household behaviour, and consider whether education, convenient collection services, or incentives could work alongside laws.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, supporting paragraphs, a paragraph proposing government action, and a conclusion. This makes the main position reasonably easy to follow. However, progression is limited: the second and third paragraphs repeat the effects of plastic pollution, while the connection between those effects and the need for recycling laws is not always made explicit. Linking phrases such as “due to this reason” and “Overall” help signal relationships, but some transitions feel mechanical, and references such as “the situation” are vague. Give each paragraph a distinct purpose—for example, explain the problem, assess why laws are needed, then discuss complementary incentives—and use clearer links between claims and examples.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some topic-related vocabulary, including “sustainability,” “non biodegradable,” “air pollution,” “penalised,” and “rewarded,” which helps communicate the subject. There is also an attempt to use more formal language, such as “Official amendments.” However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, sometimes making the intended meaning unclear. For example, “recycling majority of the products” does not express the intended idea naturally, and “plastic is a item” contains an article error rather than a vocabulary strength. “Official amendments” is not the right phrase for government rules. Aim for precise collocations such as “recycle household waste,” “introduce regulations,” and “impose a fine”; also check spelling and word forms such as “non-biodegradable.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences with clauses, as in “if the plastic gets burned it leads to air pollution,” so there is some structural variety. The main ideas are generally understandable, but errors occur often enough to make parts of the response awkward. Examples include “Plastic is a item,” “the situation do not get worse,” and “Air pollution rise,” where articles and subject–verb agreement are incorrect. The sentence beginning “Many plastic bags are found…” also combines several ideas without clear punctuation, and “these are very dangerous as they can also lead to death” has an unclear reference. Practise checking agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries, and use complex sentences only when each clause is clearly connected.

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

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