Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
Somebody believe that governments make a strict law for recycling that the first way to rise waste from home recycled. I agree to some extent and I will try to explain that how increase recycling at home, the government should promote awareness for recycling.
First of all, everybody has a garbage in their home and so much kinds of throws but somebody do not separate them for recycling. I think people do not separate their throws cause of lack of qualifies garbage areas. The government should extent the that areas and separate garbage boxes specifically.
The reason is that I agree to some extent the argue because people believe that legal requirement is changed by government and everybody obey the restrictions and the problem is solved. I think it is not much more effective way. For instance, when government punished the people using the money who non-separate and non recycled ones, people will pay their punishment and they will behave the same. Because they just only punished, but government should promote awareness about recycling to people.
In conclusion, I believe if government choose the promoting people about recycling that only do not punishing , people behave to obey the rules who understand importance of recycling to the earth.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
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 expressing a position on legal requirements versus awareness, the arguments are underdeveloped. For instance, your suggestion that people will simply pay fines and continue to litter is a relevant point, but it lacks sufficient elaboration or concrete examples to fully support your argument. To improve, you must expand on your points with more detailed explanations and ensure you meet the length requirement to allow for a more comprehensive discussion of the topic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes mechanical. Phrases like 'First of all' and 'In conclusion' are used, but the transitions between sentences within paragraphs are often abrupt, making the flow feel disjointed. Additionally, referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'the argue' or 'the that areas'. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each sentence logically connects to the previous one to create a smoother progression of ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive, which restricts your ability to express complex ideas. There are several instances of awkward word choices, such as 'so much kinds of throws' instead of 'various types of waste' and 'qualifies garbage areas' instead of 'adequate waste disposal facilities'. These errors occasionally make it difficult for the reader to grasp your intended meaning. To achieve a higher band score, you should work on using more precise terminology related to the environment and recycling, and focus on correct collocations rather than relying on basic or incorrectly translated vocabulary.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that affect the clarity of your writing. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('Somebody believe'), incorrect sentence structure ('governments make a strict law... that the first way to rise waste'), and misuse of articles and prepositions. While you attempt some complex structures, they are often faulty, leading to confusion. The majority of your sentences contain errors, which prevents the writing from being consistently clear. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and the correct use of articles before attempting more complex grammatical structures.
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.