Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-09

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 5.5)

The issue of recycling has generated the considerable debate in recent years while some people believes that not enough home waste was recycled whereas other argue that Government should have make it a legal law. This essay will discuss both perspective before presenting my own opinions.

On one hand those who claims that not enough waste from household is recycled consequently the main reason is that people have lack knowledge and they are no we educated about recycling so they just dived there waste like plastic bottles, paper, food roughly anywhere it my cause troubles in there future with health issues and pollution for instance if opponents does not through there waste in the particular bins like for plastic ,paper, food and others and if they prefer to burn it it will be the cause of pollution which effect badly in persons life.

While on the other hand opponent believes that it is Government responsibility to make it legal requirement argues that if Authorities handle it by making strict law regarding recycling and providing proper education about it and also facilitate people with necessary equipment like bins or collect waste from homes it will helps to live in cleaner ecosystem moreover those who are not following the law the will have to pay fines. for example when government comprehend the importance of recycling or it will definitely help people to become more responsible.

In conclusion, not recycling causes several problems, but with the right measures these issues can be resolved. from my perspective it is essential that individuals, organizations and government work together to find long term solutions and it will facilitate everyone with healthy lifestyle and cleaner ecosystem.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the need for recycling laws. However, the development of ideas is limited. The first body paragraph focuses on why people do not recycle, but it lacks a clear link to the necessity of legislation. The second paragraph touches on government responsibility but remains somewhat superficial. The position is clear, but the arguments are not fully extended or supported with specific, nuanced examples. The essay tends to over-generalize, and the connection between the lack of knowledge and the need for legal intervention could be more explicitly argued to meet higher band criteria.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, phrases like 'consequently the main reason is' and 'for instance if opponents does not' create awkward transitions that impede the flow of ideas. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as the use of 'it' without a clear antecedent. While there is an overall progression, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the repetitive nature of some transitions limit the coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for a higher band. There are frequent errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'dived there waste' (instead of 'disposed of their waste') and 'legal law' (a tautology). The student relies on basic vocabulary and struggles with spelling and word forms, such as 'there' instead of 'their' and 'effect' instead of 'affect'. These errors are noticeable and occasionally cause difficulty for the reader, though the general meaning remains understandable.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('some people believes', 'opponents does not') and tense inconsistencies ('Government should have make'). Punctuation is also problematic, with missing commas and run-on sentences. While the student attempts complex structures, these are often faulty, which frequently distracts from the content. The high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the response from reaching a higher band.

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

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