Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-31
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 people claim that not enough of the waste from homes is recycled , They think government should take actions or make laws to make recycling a legal requirement. To some extent I agree with this statement and I would discuss this with relevant examples in this essay.
Firstly, Recycling is a process of 3R-Reduce,Reuse,Recycle campaign. This campaign was started to make our environment clean and free from non-biodegradable waste.Recycling is the method in which, we mold the used thing in such a way that it could be used in future for other purposes,but also not all the waste could be recycled due to various reasons such as cost of complete process, lack of knowledge and limited recycling plants.
Secondly,To make recycling a successful process , Government should take small steps like, firstly aware people about the benefits of recycling, how it would affect our environment?also give appreciation reward to the citizens who actively participate in the recycling process.Example:In TamilNadu, Government has installed used plastic bottle machines at various sites, in which people throw bottles and get five rupees as motivation or appreciation.In the same way, goverment should include inspiring, motivating reward for the active participants, these rewards work as catalyst in enhancing the success of cleaning our environment.
In my opinion, it is not completely upto the government to take all the steps but also it is the duty of every citizen to keep the surrounding and the atmosphere clean in which they live.If both the government and people work together then we could make our environment clean, healthier and beautiful.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| 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 lacks a clear, consistent position. While you mention agreeing to some extent, the body paragraphs focus more on general recycling methods and government awareness campaigns rather than directly arguing for or against the necessity of legal requirements. The discussion of the '3R' campaign is somewhat tangential and does not directly answer the 'to what extent' question. To improve, ensure every paragraph directly supports your stance on whether laws are the primary solution. The example provided is relevant, but the overall development of the argument remains superficial and lacks a strong conclusion that synthesizes your position.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay uses basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly' and 'Secondly', which helps with the overall flow. However, the paragraphing is somewhat disjointed, and the transition between the definition of recycling and the argument for government intervention is abrupt. Some sentences are repetitive, and the logical progression of ideas is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that relates back to the main argument, creating a more seamless connection between your ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on common terms like 'take steps' and 'make laws' repeatedly. There are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'mold the used thing' and 'aware people', which should be 'raise awareness among people'. While the meaning is clear, the lack of sophisticated or topic-specific vocabulary limits the score. Try to incorporate more academic collocations and precise terminology related to environmental policy and waste management to demonstrate a broader lexical range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in punctuation and grammar. For example, there are missing spaces after commas, incorrect capitalization, and issues with article usage (e.g., 'the government' vs 'government'). Subject-verb agreement and sentence fragments also occur, such as 'In the same way, goverment should include...'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. Focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed correctly to improve your control.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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