Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-07

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)

A sector of society believes that minute amounts of the refuse from homes is recycled, and they claim that the most effective method of increase recycling is for the authorities to make it a legal requirement. I believe laws are an essential part of the society in addressing issues like recycling because they help people take it more serious and will enforce more general adherence by serving as a sub-conscious reminder making them extremely important in making a change in the society.

The importance of recycling, as colossal as it is, is widely overlooked by a majority of people because they cannot feel the immediate impact of their refusal to recycle their waste. Therefore any public enlightenment campaigns will blow over their heads and result in no change. However, when a city in Greenland enforced these laws pertaining to recycling the officials reported, from a previous 25% adherence, about a 90% adherence from all parts of the city : households, schools, restaurants and offices all ensured they recycled their waste.

In addition, when a fine is introduced as a penalty, no working class citizen will consciously refuse to recycle because they are made to bear the consequences of their disobedience. As a result, every citizen will do due diligence to separate their rubbish when disposing to avoid losing money that could be better spent paying bills satisfying their wants. When the residents of Greenland were asked in a survey why they did not recycle before the law, the general response was that they could always separate their refuse, but there was no pressure to do so until the enactment of the law.

To summarize, recycling is not a thing to be taken with levity and to ensure people cultivate the habit of recycling the government should make rules to motivate citizens to take the matter more seriously and constantly remind them.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position in favor of legal requirements for recycling. The ideas are relevant and supported by a specific example regarding a city in Greenland, which helps illustrate the argument effectively. The position is consistent throughout the essay. To reach a higher band, the development could be slightly more nuanced; for instance, acknowledging potential counter-arguments or the limitations of legal enforcement would demonstrate a more sophisticated level of critical thinking. However, the current response is well-focused and directly answers the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'Therefore', 'However', 'In addition', and 'As a result' are used effectively to link sentences and ideas. The paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the overall flow. While the transitions are generally smooth, some of the linking phrases are slightly standard; incorporating a wider variety of cohesive devices could further enhance the sophistication of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is sufficient and generally precise, allowing for clear communication. Phrases like 'public enlightenment campaigns', 'cultivate the habit', and 'bear the consequences' show a good grasp of topic-specific language. There are occasional minor inaccuracies or slightly unnatural collocations, such as 'take it more serious' (should be 'seriously') and 'blow over their heads' (an idiom that is slightly misused here). Despite these minor slips, the range is adequate to convey complex ideas, and the vocabulary is well-suited to the academic nature of the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is good control over grammar, and most sentences are error-free. However, there are some recurring grammatical slips, such as 'take it more serious' (adverbial error) and 'a sector of society believes that minute amounts of the refuse... is recycled' (subject-verb agreement error, as 'amounts' is plural). Punctuation is generally accurate, though there are minor issues with comma usage in complex sentences. The control is sufficient to ensure that meaning is never impeded, but more error-free complex structures would be needed for a higher band.

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

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