Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

In recent years, pollution caused by unrecycled trash has been sparking concerns of the citizens. Individuals claim that the sole method for enhancing recycling wastes involves governments mandating it as a legal obligation. This essay will discuss the extent of the legal actions required for improving the recycling process and I will give reasons with a proofed examples for my own answers.

From my perspective, There are certain people who will make a move only if they are bounded by the law. Governments play a key role for a higher recycle performance by developing "strict legal obligations" toward the society. They could introduce a wide range of laws involving the responsibility of the individuals and institution. Such as charging the citizens who are responsible for the unsorted trashes or propose a national day twice a year for recycling with their loved ones. It will bring outstanding results if we introduce the benefits and the penalties, depending on their action.

Many people know how to throw their rubbish into the bin but don't fully understand the importance of recycling properly. However, in Korea, where the law is the most powerful thing among citizens - in this case: individuals take recycling as extremely serious work resulting exceptional. The people in charge will chase down every small trash that has been sorted unproperly.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that providing facilities for recycling and educating people on the importance of recycling are more relevant than making recycling wastes from homes a legal requirement.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt, but there is a significant contradiction between the body paragraphs and the conclusion. While the body paragraphs argue in favor of legal requirements, the conclusion suddenly shifts to suggest that education and facilities are more relevant. This lack of a consistent position throughout the essay impacts the development of the argument. Furthermore, some ideas are under-developed; for instance, the suggestion of a 'national day for recycling' is not clearly linked to the effectiveness of legal mandates. To improve, ensure your conclusion aligns with the arguments presented in the body and provide more detailed explanations for your claims.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression is hindered by the contradictory conclusion mentioned above. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'However' and 'In conclusion', but some transitions feel mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as 'in this case: individuals take...'. Referencing is generally clear, but the flow of ideas between the second and third paragraphs is somewhat abrupt. To reach a higher band, focus on ensuring that each paragraph builds logically upon the previous one and that the overall argument remains consistent from the introduction to the final sentence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, though it lacks sophistication. There are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'sparking concerns of the citizens' (instead of 'among citizens'), 'proofed examples' (instead of 'proven examples'), and 'sorted unproperly' (instead of 'improperly'). While the meaning is generally clear, the use of less common items is limited and occasionally inaccurate. To improve, focus on learning collocations and using more precise academic vocabulary to express your ideas, rather than relying on simpler, sometimes misused, phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that, while not impeding communication, are noticeable. Examples include 'recycling wastes' (should be 'recycling waste'), 'bounded by the law' (should be 'bound by the law'), and 'chase down every small trash' (should be 'piece of trash'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of colons and commas. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and refining your control over complex sentence structures to reduce the frequency of errors.

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