Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-01
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)
Its often argue that little household waste is recycled and government should make some laws to force people to recycling more . This essay is agree with the statement, however after law enforcement residents take i recycling as a responsibility. Education and legislation give more facilities to make this process easy.
Firstly, when there is a law enforcement behind any this public take those things more serious. They aware regarding the environmental issues but household didn't do recycle the waste as they will doing after legal law. Residents take recycling as a responsibility and a lot of waste has been recycle on daily basis. Additionally, people carefully sperate plastic, glass and papers from general waste. For instance , in developed countries where the households expect that sperate the waste and can be fined on incorrect disposed, recycling become a part of the life.
On the other hand , if we proper educate the public regarding the benefits and utilization of waste recycle on a daily basis. Public have a knowledge specifically, how it can reuse in a productive manner. However, schools also take a part and educate the young learners in their early age. In this way we can increase the recycling. For example: In Japan teachers also bring up some this new and do new little task regarding environmental cleanses, reuse of waste etc . So there kids also take recycling as a responsibility.
In Conclusion, through legislation requirements people always follow the rule and through which increase the recycling waste. Because it gives more facilities and public avoid the fines. Whereas, education improves the sense of knowledge among the citizens.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by discussing both legislation and education. However, the position is somewhat inconsistent; the introduction states the essay agrees with the need for laws, but the body paragraphs shift focus between legal enforcement and educational initiatives without a clear, unified argument. While the ideas are relevant, they are often under-developed. For example, the mention of Japan is a good attempt at an example, but it lacks specific detail on how the 'new tasks' actually translate to higher recycling rates. The conclusion is a bit repetitive and does not fully synthesize the arguments presented. To improve, ensure each paragraph directly supports the central thesis and provides more concrete evidence.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. Phrases like 'when there is a law enforcement behind any this' and 'in this way we can increase' are used to link ideas, but the transitions between sentences are sometimes abrupt or grammatically awkward. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'bring up some this new'. While there is an overall progression, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the repetitive nature of the sentence structures limit the flow of the argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There are several instances of incorrect word choice and collocation, such as 'legal law' (redundant), 'environmental cleanses' (incorrect term), and 'sperate' (spelling error). The student relies on basic vocabulary and struggles to use less common items effectively. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequent errors in word formation and spelling prevent the response from reaching a higher level. Expanding the range of topic-specific vocabulary related to sustainability and governance would be beneficial.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('household didn't do recycle'), tense inconsistencies ('as they will doing'), and missing articles or prepositions. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary spaces before commas. While the errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to distract the reader and indicate a lack of control over complex structures. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like subject-verb agreement and verb tense consistency.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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