Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Certain people argue that garbage produced domestically is not recycled enough and only way to do it is by making it legal requirement by government. I fully agree with this point of view because it will help us get rid of many diseases like dengue fever and malaria and also people will implement it due to fines imposed by government.

First of all, recycling garbage waste helps us get rid of severe diseases and sickness which could turn out to be life threatening. Unsupervised Garbage produces mosquitoes which than spread viruses like dengue fever and malaria. For example, dengue fever is the leading cause of death Worldwide due to lack of cleanliness and unrecycled garbage. That is why I believe that government should take strict action to recycle waste in homes.

Secondly, people only follow orders if there is some sort of punishment like fines. By this I mean that government should introduce a plan which fines the houses who do not recycle their garbage. For instance, Dubai is the cleanest city in the World due to high fines for littering. Homeowners receive a heavy amount of fine which prevents them from making . That is why Implementing fines can help government cause in recycling domestic waste.

In conclusion, laws are required to get rid of waste that produces life threatening diseases. Furthermore, imposing fines on homes enforce the community to recycle their waste.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position in favor of legal requirements for recycling. However, the essay fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which significantly impacts the development of ideas. While the arguments regarding public health and the effectiveness of fines are relevant, they are somewhat underdeveloped. The link between recycling and the prevention of diseases like malaria is a bit tenuous and lacks nuance. To reach a higher band, you need to expand your arguments with more detailed explanations and examples to ensure the response is fully developed and meets the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the argument. There is a logical progression from the introduction to the body paragraphs and the conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'First of all', 'Secondly', 'Furthermore'). Additionally, some sentences lack smooth transitions, making the flow feel slightly disjointed. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that ideas within paragraphs are more tightly connected would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on fairly basic terminology, such as 'garbage', 'sickness', and 'strict action'. There are also some awkward collocations and minor errors, such as 'garbage produced domestically' and 'government cause in recycling'. To improve, you should aim to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to environmental policy and civic responsibility. Using more precise terms will help convey your ideas with greater clarity and academic tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('the government', 'the world'), incorrect verb forms ('than' instead of 'then'), and incomplete sentences ('prevents them from making .'). These errors, while not impeding communication, occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement, article usage, and proofreading for incomplete thoughts will significantly improve your grammatical accuracy.

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

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