Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-18
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 5.0)
Few individuals argued that too little house waste is recycled and that governments should make recycling a legal requirement. I totally agree that laws are necessary, although they should be combined with public education and convenient recycling facilities.
The main reason for supporting compulsory recycling is that many people do not change their behaviour without clear rules. If household were legally required to separate recycleable material, such as plastic, glass, paper. Moreover, strict regulation could courage people to develop enviromentally responsible habit over time. For instance, some countries have introduced fines for putting recyclabe waste in general rubbish. However, legislation alone cannot solve the problem. people more likely to recycle
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response is significantly under the required word count of 250 words, reaching only 110 words. Consequently, the task is not fully addressed, and the ideas are severely underdeveloped. While you establish a clear position in the introduction, the body paragraphs lack the necessary depth, examples, and logical extension required for a Task 2 essay. The final sentence is incomplete, further hindering the development of your argument. To improve, you must expand on your points with detailed explanations and relevant examples to meet the minimum length requirement and provide a comprehensive response to the prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay shows some attempt at logical organization, with an introduction and body paragraphs. However, the abrupt ending and the lack of sufficient content make it difficult to assess the overall progression. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'For instance', but the limited length prevents a full evaluation of your ability to manage cohesion across a complete essay. The paragraphing is present, but the incomplete nature of the final paragraph disrupts the flow of the argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is generally appropriate for the topic, such as 'compulsory recycling', 'environmentally responsible', and 'legislation'. However, there are some errors in word formation and spelling, such as 'recycleable' (recyclable) and 'courage' (encourage). The range of vocabulary is limited due to the brevity of the response. To achieve a higher score, you should aim to use a wider variety of topic-specific vocabulary and ensure accurate spelling and word choice throughout your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'Few individuals argued' (should be 'Some individuals argue'), 'household were' (should be 'households were'), and the sentence fragment 'people more likely to recycle'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly in the list 'plastic, glass, paper.' which lacks a conjunction. The frequency of these errors, combined with the incomplete final sentence, limits the clarity and accuracy of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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