Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

It has been claimed by some people that the domestic waste is not recycled enough as it needs to be. The proposed solution is an action by the government to make it legal. The legalization of the recycling process will definitely have positive impact on the society. Legal requirement along with some other efforts will definitely speed up the process.

In my opinion, it is a very good solution to the problem. People are not aware of the risks of waste being thrown without recycling. In addition to the legal requirement, it is also important that public should be given awareness of the hazardous effects of not recycling the waste. For instance, organizing awareness campaigns at educational institutions can prove beneficial.

Having said that, it is also important that the legalization of the recycling process should also be associated with some financial benefits. It will motivate people to follow the laws properly as they will be getting personal benefits too. For example, In Germany, machines are installed for public to deposit their used plastic cans and bottles, they get vouchers in return which can be used to buy things of their choice. It not only promotes recycling but also motivates people to do it actively. Involvement of government seems to work in such cases.

In conclusion, the efforts of government to make the process of recycling legal combined with some other policies can augment the process of recycling.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear: you support legal requirements, while arguing that awareness campaigns and financial incentives should accompany them. The examples of school campaigns and Germany’s bottle-return machines are relevant and help explain how government action could work. However, the discussion does not fully answer the extent question: you call legislation a “very good solution” but do not explain whether it is essential, sufficient on its own, or one measure among several. The awareness point is introduced but only briefly developed, and the conclusion largely repeats the proposal rather than weighing its importance. The response is also 12 words below the required minimum, which limits the space available to develop these ideas. Explain the role and limits of laws more fully and support each main point.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: it introduces the issue, presents awareness and incentives as supporting measures, and ends with a conclusion. Paragraphing is appropriate, and signposts such as “In my opinion,” “Having said that,” and “In conclusion” make the direction easy to follow. This coherent structure meets the lower-band expectations and shows some features of stronger progression. However, the relationship between the main claim and the additional measures could be clearer: the essay does not explicitly show how awareness and rewards complement or address the limits of legal enforcement. “Having said that” suggests a contrast, although the financial-benefit point mostly adds to the previous argument. Use transitions that reflect the actual relationship between ideas, and connect each example more explicitly to the central position.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of topic vocabulary, including “domestic waste,” “hazardous effects,” “awareness campaigns,” “financial benefits,” and “vouchers.” These choices make the subject clear, and phrases such as “promotes recycling” communicate the intended benefit. However, some wording is repetitive or imprecise, particularly repeated references to “the legalization of the recycling process” and “the process of recycling.” There are also unnatural collocations, such as “given awareness” and “follow the laws properly,” which reduce idiomatic control. Aim for more concise, natural expressions and vary the vocabulary for legislation and recycling. More precise wording would help you explain the distinction between requiring recycling and encouraging it through incentives.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex structures, including the conditional explanation “as they will be getting personal benefits too” and the relative clause “which can be used to buy things of their choice.” Most sentences remain understandable, but some grammatical errors and awkward constructions are noticeable. For example, “the domestic waste” uses an unnecessary article, “will definitely have positive impact” needs an article before “positive impact,” and “it is also important that public should be given” has an article and modal-construction problem. The long sentence beginning “For example, In Germany” also needs more controlled punctuation and sentence structure. Review articles and clause patterns, and divide longer examples into clear sentences while retaining some complex forms.

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