Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-07-29

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 7.0)

It is undeniable that nowadays, the amount of households waste is increasing rapidly , making recycling an essential way to protect the environment . In this regard, some people believe that recycling should be made compulsory by law while other believe that voluntary participation is sufficient. I agree to a large extent with this notion due to many reasons which will outline in forthcoming fragments with logical conclusion.

To commence with, there are many reasons in favour of laws are needed. First and foremost is that laws ensure highly public participation. To justify, many people ignore recycling when it is voluntary. Legal requirements encourage everyone to separate household waste. This lead to a significant increase in recycling rates. People would be afraid of fines by not allowing the laws. Secondly, it reduces environment pollution. To clarify, recycling decreases the amount of waste sent ton landfills. It lowers soil, air and water pollution and helps combat climate changes. It also conserves natural resources by reusing materials. Moreover, it creates responsibility and discipline among citizens. To explain people develop long term recycling habits when it is compulsory. Fines of penalties discourage careless waste disposal. A uniform system makes waste management more efficient.

However, there are some reasons in favour of only laws alone are not enough. Prime one is that government must take relevant actions to decrease the pollution. To elaborate, government should also provide separate recycling bins , regular collection services, and public awareness programs. Without proper facilities and education , many people may find it difficult to follow the laws. Government must fund in those small scale factories which manufacture jute bags or cloth bags.

To conclude, although there are many reasons in favour of laws must be applied such as creates responsibility, reduce pollution and ensure higher public participation yet there are some reasons in favour of only laws are not enough can never be neglected at any cost.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position in the introduction and maintaining it throughout. The ideas are relevant, such as the role of fines in ensuring participation and the necessity of government infrastructure. However, the development is somewhat uneven. While the arguments for legal requirements are well-supported, the counter-argument regarding the necessity of infrastructure is slightly under-developed. The conclusion is a bit repetitive, merely restating the points rather than synthesising them. To reach a higher band, ensure that each body paragraph provides a deeper analysis of the 'extent' to which laws are needed, rather than just listing reasons.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organised with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'First and foremost', 'Moreover', and 'However' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or awkward, such as 'which will outline in forthcoming fragments'. Additionally, some referencing is unclear, such as 'by not allowing the laws', which does not accurately convey the intended meaning of 'failing to comply with the laws'. Improving the flow between sentences would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'compulsory', 'disposal', and 'efficient'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'government must fund in those small scale factories' (should be 'invest in') and 'by not allowing the laws' (should be 'by not following the laws'). The range is sufficient to communicate, but more precise and varied vocabulary would be required for a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the amount of households waste'), prepositions ('reasons in favour of laws are needed'), and verb forms ('which will outline' instead of 'which will be outlined'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary spaces before commas. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct sentence construction will help improve accuracy.

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