Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

It is undeniable that pollution has become a pensive concern in the modern era. In this regard few individual believe that not enough of waste is recycled from homes , I agree upto some extent with this notion due to many reasons which will outline in forthcoming fragments with logical conclusion.

To commence with ,there are several points in the favor of some extent. The first and foremost one is that fear of fine , To explain government should expose some fine regarding throwing waste ,disposal of plastic in public areas. secondly government should ban plastic bags, utensils, cup, toys so on which cause major pollution of nature. they should organize awareness campaign to aware people to avoid such problems. moreover disposal of plastic cause pollution and disease though garbage.

However, There are also few point in the favor of people concern about the recycling . first it should be responsibility of every individual to clean their environment and duty to check surrounding. Secondly they should avoid buying non biodegradable product because they are non recycleable.

To conclude ,there are several points in the favor of government should increase legal requirements . yet, people should also responsible for safeguard environment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 200 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas, which remain superficial and under-supported. While you address the prompt by discussing government intervention and individual responsibility, the arguments lack depth and specific examples. The position is stated but not fully explored or extended. To improve, you must expand your paragraphs with detailed explanations, real-world examples, and a more thorough analysis of the implications of legal requirements versus voluntary action. The current brevity prevents a higher score as the task is not fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical. You use basic cohesive devices like 'To commence with' and 'Moreover', but the transitions between sentences are often abrupt. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'there are several points in the favor of some extent', which is grammatically confusing and lacks a clear logical link to the previous sentence. Paragraphing is present, but the ideas within the paragraphs are not well-connected, making the overall flow feel disjointed. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is limited and sometimes inaccurate. You use words like 'pensive' incorrectly in the context of pollution, and there are several errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'expose some fine' instead of 'impose fines' and 'aware people' instead of 'raise awareness'. The range of vocabulary is basic and repetitive, relying on simple terms like 'pollution' and 'waste'. To reach a higher band, you should focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and collocations related to environmental issues, such as 'mandatory recycling schemes', 'environmental degradation', or 'legislative measures'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with article usage ('the' is often missing), subject-verb agreement, and sentence structure. For example, 'few individual believe' should be 'a few individuals believe', and 'government should expose some fine' is grammatically incorrect. You rely mostly on simple sentence structures, and attempts at more complex sentences often result in errors. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma placement. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and the correct use of articles before attempting more complex structures.

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