Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-22
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 play major role to use products in different ways. Due to which , Some individuals believe that the garbage from homes is not recycled efficiently. They think that high authorities should take legal action to increase recycling things which are useful. In this essay I will discuss why laws are essential to make people recycle more of their waste in my upcoming paragraphs.
To commence with, There are some reasons why recycling should be increasing? The first and foremost reason is to reduce pollution . To be more precise, Many people through their waste in many ways such as dumping, burning and put in bins .Which create harmful toxic gages in the environment .To reduce it they should follow 3RSwhich help them to save earth . A survey which was conducted by The British Broadcasting revealed that 89% of Indians recycled their waste and use it in different way.
On the other hand , There are some laws which should be introduced by the government to recycle waste . The first of all , They should organize awareness campaigns for the nation people to recycle waste which give more useful knowledge to people about saving environment In addition people also use paper bags instead of plastic . An article by English Times revelated that 7 out of 10 people learns new things from campaigns and they get rewards to save in earth.
In conclusion, Although there are many ways to increase recycling by individuals . But if people and the government introduced some new laws then it will be proven beneficial not only for one but also for the whole society.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt, but the development of ideas is inconsistent. While you state your position in the introduction, the arguments provided in the body paragraphs are somewhat superficial. For example, the first body paragraph discusses the importance of recycling in general rather than focusing on the necessity of legal requirements. The second paragraph touches on government campaigns, but the link between 'laws' and 'campaigns' is not clearly articulated. To improve, ensure each paragraph directly supports your stance on whether laws are the most effective way to increase recycling, rather than just describing the benefits of recycling itself.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the flow between and within them is often mechanical. You use some cohesive devices like 'To commence with' and 'On the other hand', but they are sometimes used incorrectly or do not logically connect the ideas. For instance, the transition into the second paragraph is abrupt. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the final sentence of the second paragraph where the connection between 'rewards' and 'saving the earth' is vague. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each sentence follows logically from the previous one will enhance the coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and sophistication. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and incorrect word choices, such as 'recycling things which are useful' and 'toxic gages' (likely meaning gases). You attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary, but it is often used inaccurately. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and academic terminology. Avoid repetitive phrasing and ensure that your word choices are appropriate for a formal essay context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally impede readability. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'recycling play major role'), incorrect article usage, and punctuation errors, such as the unnecessary space before commas. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors prevent the writing from reaching a higher level of accuracy. You should focus on proofreading for basic grammatical rules, specifically verb forms and sentence punctuation, to ensure your writing is more polished.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.