Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-03

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 6.5)

It is often argued that an insufficient amount of household waste is recycled, and that government should introduce laws to make recycling compulsory in order to increase the recycling rate. In my opinion, laws are important, but they are not the only solution, as we can also make several measures to rise the significance of recycling.

First of all, we can increase the process of recycling throughout the world if governments take it as a serious matter. Governments should pass laws requiring households to recycle their waste. Moreover, they should impose penalties on people who fail to comply with these laws. This can encourage individuals to abide by the regulations because they will be aware of the fines they may have to pay if they fail to recycle their waste properly. For example, if households were required to separate recyclable materials from general waste and were fined for failing to do so, they would be more likely to follow the regulations to avoid financial penalties.

Furthermore, the process of recycling can also be increased by educating people with the benefits of recycling and by providing recycling facilities more accessible to people. Individuals should be educated about the significant benefits of recycling and made aware of the harmful consequences of poor waste management. However, government should also introduce easily accessible facilities for proper recycling of waste materials. For example, governments could install separate recycling bins for every three or four households and offer small financial incentives to families that consistently separate and recycle their waste. This would make recycling more convenient while also encouraging households to develop regular recycling habits.

In conclusion, I believe that laws are necessary to a considerable extent to increase recycling, but they should be supported by public education and accessible recycling facilities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that laws are necessary but insufficient on their own. The ideas are well-developed, with logical arguments for both mandatory legislation and supporting measures like education and infrastructure. The examples provided, such as the suggestion for separate recycling bins and financial incentives, are relevant and effectively support the main argument. The response maintains a consistent focus on the topic throughout, and the conclusion successfully synthesizes the points made in the body paragraphs. The development is balanced, ensuring that the extent of the need for laws is clearly articulated.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the need for laws and the need for supporting measures is smooth. Cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'Moreover', 'Furthermore', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points. While the flow is generally natural, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat standard; however, it is sufficient to ensure that the information is presented in a coherent manner throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally appropriate and allows for clear communication. There is a sufficient range of topic-specific vocabulary, such as 'compulsory', 'comply', 'financial penalties', and 'waste management'. However, there are minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'make several measures to rise the significance' (should be 'take several measures to increase the importance') and 'educating people with the benefits' (should be 'educating people about the benefits'). These errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the response from reaching the highest band for lexical resource.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is good control over sentence construction, and most sentences are clear and error-free. However, there are occasional grammatical slips, such as 'government should also introduce' (missing an article: 'the government') and 'providing recycling facilities more accessible' (should be 'making recycling facilities more accessible'). Despite these minor inaccuracies, the grammar is generally accurate and does not hinder the reader's understanding. The range of structures is sufficient to convey complex ideas effectively.

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.