Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Recycling is a good way of disposing the household waste. In this fast-paced era, some individuals believe that the waste which is recycled is not in a sufficient proportion that it should be, while others suggest that the central government should implement some legal actions to increase the process of recycling. I completely agree with this statement. This essay will analyse the reasons behind my perspective along with the examples in the subsequent paragraphs.

To commence with, the core reason of making recycling compulsory is that everyone should take responsibility for managing their litter. Many people do not recycle because in this contemporary era, people are busy in their professional and personal lives so they lack time management, rather than recycling the used products they prefer to purchase new ones to save time. However, if higher authorities introduce strict rules and impose fine on the citizens who fail to separate the recyclable trash, they are more likely to follow the regulations and able to recycle their waste. As a result, the amount of garbage which sent to landfills will be decreased significantly.

Another reason why I fully support this idea is that people are unaware about the recycling process. If governments take legal actions for recycling waste then it can create long-term environment benefits.

To

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 215 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas. While you clearly state your position in the introduction, the body paragraphs are underdeveloped. The second paragraph introduces the idea of government intervention, but the argument remains superficial and lacks specific examples or a deeper exploration of the consequences. The final paragraph is incomplete, ending abruptly after only two sentences. To improve, you must expand your arguments with more detailed explanations and concrete examples to ensure all parts of the prompt are fully addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a basic logical structure with an introduction and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'However', and 'As a result' to link ideas. However, the progression is interrupted by the incomplete nature of the final paragraph. Paragraphing is present, but the abrupt ending prevents a clear conclusion or a sense of overall cohesion. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph is fully developed and that the essay concludes with a summary or final thought that ties the arguments together logically.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'contemporary era', 'implement', and 'recyclable trash'. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'disposing the household waste' (should be 'disposing of') and 'garbage which sent to landfills' (missing 'is'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, it lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. Focus on using more sophisticated collocations and ensuring that your word choices are grammatically accurate in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'the waste which is recycled is not in a sufficient proportion that it should be' (awkward phrasing) and 'people are busy in their professional and personal lives so they lack time management' (run-on/comma splice). Additionally, there are missing articles and preposition errors. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the clarity of your writing. Focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles to improve accuracy.

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