Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-19

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)

Even though, waste segregation and management have an important role to play in ecosystem protection, not enough domestic waste is recycled. Some argue that government legislation is required to improve the situation. I completely agree with an idea of legal requirements in waste recycling.

Waste management is a civic responsibility rather than of governments alone, but due to several reasons, people do not take the initiative in recycling process. It is because of the lack of awareness, limited access to recycling centers and insufficient personal benefits. Most of citizens ignore household garbage and not segregate it in appropriate dustbins. For instance, governments have distributed different colour-coded dustbins for a specific trash, but the approach is not followed by everyone. Ultimately, poor waste recycling results in environmental degradation and pollution. So, to improve these conditions strict governments measures are mandatory.

Authorities should impose penalties on breaking rules for use of separate trash containers according to waste type. Other than punitive measures, they should organize subsidies recycling programs as well as awareness and educational campaigns. For example, small rewarding tasks such as collection of plastic bottles for school and college students can significantly improve youth participation in such programs, while subsidies and campaigns with documentaries and posters of the correlation between garbage and global warming enables working and illiterate population to consider recycling as an essential part of life. To sum up, although legal regulatory measures are required, public should take an active participation in waste management programs. A coordinated approach of people and governments is crucial for better results.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position in favor of legal requirements for recycling. The ideas are relevant and logically developed, moving from the causes of low recycling rates to potential government-led solutions. The argument is supported by examples, such as the use of color-coded bins and educational campaigns. While the development is clear, it could be further enhanced by exploring the potential drawbacks of such legislation to provide a more balanced and nuanced discussion, which would help reach the higher band descriptors. Overall, the position is consistent and the response is well-focused on the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Ideas progress smoothly from the problem to the proposed solutions. Cohesive devices are used effectively, such as 'Even though', 'For instance', and 'To sum up', which help guide the reader through the argument. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the analysis of the problem from the proposed interventions. The flow of information is natural, and the relationship between ideas is generally clear, though some transitions could be slightly more sophisticated to improve the overall cohesion of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning with some precision. The student uses topic-specific terms like 'waste segregation', 'environmental degradation', and 'punitive measures'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'subsidies recycling programs' (should be 'subsidized') and 'an idea of' (should be 'the idea of'). While the range is adequate for the task, the use of less common lexical items is somewhat limited. To improve, the student should focus on more precise collocations and ensure that word forms are used correctly in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'Most of citizens' (should be 'Most citizens'), 'not segregate it' (should be 'do not segregate it'), and 'strict governments measures' (should be 'strict government measures'). Punctuation is generally functional, though there are occasional errors, such as the unnecessary comma after 'Even though'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the variety of complex structures and ensuring greater accuracy in subject-verb agreement and article usage would improve the score.

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

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