Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-17
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)
It is often argued that recycling of home wastes is not enough, governing bodies are only responsible to make laws for recycling enhancement. I firmly disagree with this view as individuals as well as government both are liable to commence recycle wastes.
One of the main reasons of individuals should do recycling is that marginal efforts can bring significant changes. If we reuse plastic bottles and paper then we save our environment from global warming. To illustrate, children are encouraged to recycle plastic bottles and paper at early childhood in schools to save our environment. Besides this, habit of recycling can bring sense of responsibility in everyone.
While, governing bodies should also implement several rules for people since many individuals do not develop habit of recycling on their own. when government impose rules over people they have to follow them and it brings out positivity. For instance, in many countries government impose charges when an individual breaks a law of waste products hence people bound to follow regulations.
To conclude, both government and people are responsible for recycling. Governing bodies should fix some laws and people have to follow these laws
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 191 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas, as the arguments remain superficial and lack the necessary depth and supporting evidence required for a higher band. While you have addressed the prompt by presenting a position, the under-length nature of the essay means that the discussion is underdeveloped. To improve, you must expand your points with more detailed explanations and specific, well-developed examples. The conclusion is also quite brief and does not effectively synthesize the arguments presented.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the flow between ideas is sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition 'Besides this' and 'While, governing bodies' feels slightly forced. The use of cohesive devices is limited, and the logical progression of ideas is hindered by the brevity of the paragraphs. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and phrases to connect sentences and paragraphs more naturally. Ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that directly supports your main position.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision expected at higher levels. You rely on basic terms like 'good', 'bad', or 'positivity' rather than more sophisticated alternatives. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'commence recycle wastes' and 'governing bodies are only responsible to make laws'. To improve, try to incorporate more academic collocations and precise terminology related to environmental issues and government policy. Avoid repetitive phrasing and focus on using synonyms to enhance the variety of your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. For instance, 'one of the main reasons of individuals should do recycling' is grammatically incorrect. There are also issues with article usage and subject-verb agreement, such as 'when government impose rules'. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like pluralization and verb tense consistency. Increasing your use of complex structures, such as conditional sentences or relative clauses, will also help improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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