Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-29
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)
Some argue that many households not giving their waste for recycling. The only solution for this problem is government should impose strict rules. Although legal requirement may help to increase recycling. I believe that only strict rules are not enough because government should provide education and public awareness.
If government impose legal rules and regulation, then it will help to increase recycling process. People how feel that recycling is not necessary and mix all waste together, and if government impose legal rules such as fine and penalty for not separating their waste, then citizens will start to follow the rules. For example, if individuals are not separating waste such as paper, glass and plastic in different dustbin, then government could take a small fine from them. Although I strongly believe that this is not only solution because education and awareness plays an important role.
government should provide public awareness and education because many people do not know the importance of recycling, if authorities organise campaign for people to aware its importance in life. furthermore, government should education, because if authorities provide education to people in school and institutes then citizens would understand the recycling process from early age. for instance, if a person is studying subject related to recycling process, then they would learn the
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which significantly impacts the development of ideas. While you address the prompt by discussing both legal requirements and education, the arguments remain underdeveloped due to the premature ending of the essay. The position is clear, but the lack of a conclusion and the incomplete final paragraph prevent a full exploration of the topic. To improve, you must ensure that each body paragraph is fully supported with detailed examples and that the essay includes a clear introduction and a concluding summary to provide a sense of closure.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay shows a basic attempt at logical organization with clear paragraph breaks. However, the use of cohesive devices is mechanical and sometimes inaccurate, such as the repetitive use of 'if' and 'because'. The progression of ideas is hindered by the incomplete nature of the final paragraph, which leaves the reader without a logical conclusion. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and the flow between sentences is somewhat disjointed. To achieve a higher score, focus on using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in contrast') and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and a cohesive structure.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on simple, repetitive phrasing such as 'government should' and 'legal rules'. There are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'many households not giving their waste' instead of 'not recycling their waste' and 'take a small fine' instead of 'impose a small fine'. To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to environmental issues and waste management, and focus on using more sophisticated collocations to express your ideas more naturally.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'government should provide education' instead of 'the government should provide education'), missing articles, and incorrect verb forms (e.g., 'if authorities organise campaign for people to aware its importance'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with sentence fragments. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring consistent subject-verb agreement, and proofreading for common errors like missing articles and incorrect preposition usage.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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