Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-12
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)
Recycling waste is most important to conserve our nature. Some people claim that is mot enough of the waste recycled from homes. They say that the only way to increase recycling is for government to make it a legal requirement.
In my opinion , it is very important to recycle waste of homes.Some people burns, drop it in oceans. Government should make rules and regulations about the recycling process. government has to allow everyone to use dustbin to throw garbage in it rather than outside. This help in cleaning our homes and roads. Government may provide two recyclable dustbin to every home. They should collect garbage from each homes everyday and then transferred to factories to recycle . They should establish garbage recycling factories in different areas , so that they are accessible to everyone.
Besides, government should started recycling campaigns . This helps to spread awareness in remote areas also . Citizens know their responsible to treat waste. They should made ads of recycling waste by famous personalities because people get inspired from them . Government should provide money to people who sell their plastic waste to shops. For example, in Canada , a shop offers money to children who sell plastic bottles to their shops. It is a good step to clean nation from plastic .
In the conclusion, although it is our responsibility to treat waste at homes ,government plays no role in it yet it is government should make it a legal requirement because it is nearby impossible to treat waste at homes in good manner.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by discussing the role of government in recycling. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. While you suggest government actions like providing dustbins and running campaigns, the argument lacks depth regarding the 'extent' to which laws are needed. The conclusion is contradictory, stating the government 'plays no role' while simultaneously arguing it should be a legal requirement. To improve, ensure your position is consistent throughout and provide more nuanced reasoning on why legal mandates are or are not the most effective solution compared to voluntary measures.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, 'Besides' is used to start a paragraph, but the transition between ideas within paragraphs is sometimes abrupt. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'They should collect garbage from each homes... and then transferred to factories', where the pronoun 'they' is used inconsistently. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words would help the flow of your arguments significantly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'important', 'make', and 'good'. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'conserve our nature' (conserve the environment) and 'clean nation from plastic' (rid the nation of plastic). While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of more sophisticated or topic-specific vocabulary limits the score. Try to incorporate more precise terminology related to environmental policy and waste management.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly with subject-verb agreement and article usage. Examples include 'Some people burns', 'each homes', and 'government should started'. Sentence structures are mostly simple, and attempts at more complex sentences often contain errors, such as 'it is government should make it a legal requirement'. These errors are noticeable and occasionally distract the reader. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, specifically ensuring that subjects and verbs agree and that articles are used correctly before nouns.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.