Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-02

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)

I completely agree with this , there should be legal requirements as enough waste from homes is not recycled . If there will be legal requirements people will be bound to follow them and recycle waste it will have a great affect on waste management and cleanliness of country , society , etc .

Now our country is beyond many countries in cleanliness as the waste is dumped at roads , empty spaces and not properly controlled if it becomes law then people will have to follow it . In countries like japan , korea its already a rule to recycle the waste and to threw the waste in different dustbins so it would be easy to seperate them and recycle them . It will also give employment to people like a proper team would be made to check the whether the waste is properly controlled and recycled . It will also help to country financial conditions as the fine can be charged if the waste is not recycled and controlled properly . The country need to make this lawful to get developed and make it duty of people by it the tourisim will also increase as everyone want to visit a clean city or country not dirty where there is waste everywhere .

In conclusion, its very important for governments to make it a legal requirement to increase recycling as by it the country will become clean , developed and the financial condition of country will also become good

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position in favor of legal requirements for recycling. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and repetitive. While you mention benefits like cleanliness, employment, and tourism, these points are not fully explored or supported with detailed reasoning. The argument relies on general statements rather than a structured analysis of why legislation is the most effective tool compared to other methods (e.g., education or incentives). To improve, ensure each paragraph focuses on a distinct, well-developed argument that directly supports your thesis, providing more depth to your reasoning.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into three paragraphs, but the structure is quite basic. The flow between ideas is often mechanical, relying on simple connectors like 'It will also' or 'In conclusion'. There is a lack of sophisticated cohesive devices to link sentences and ideas smoothly. Furthermore, the paragraphing is underdeveloped; the body paragraph contains several distinct points that would be better served by clearer topic sentences and transitions. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider range of cohesive devices (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in contrast') and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus.

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 basic, repetitive phrasing such as 'cleanliness of country', 'waste is properly controlled', and 'financial condition'. There are also some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'threw the waste' (should be 'throw') and 'get developed' (should be 'develop'). To improve, try to incorporate more academic collocations and topic-specific vocabulary related to environmental policy and waste management to demonstrate a more sophisticated command of the language.

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 the flow. Common issues include missing articles ('the country', 'the society'), incorrect verb forms ('everyone want to visit'), and punctuation errors (e.g., missing commas and incorrect use of apostrophes in 'its' vs 'it's'). The sentence construction is often repetitive, and there is a lack of variety in complex structures. To improve, focus on mastering subject-verb agreement, consistent use of articles, and proofreading for basic punctuation and spelling errors.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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