Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-04

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 6.0)

It is claimed by some people that the waste from homes is not recycled enough. They also believe that the government has only one option to increase recycling, and that is by making it a legal requirement. In my opinion, laws are needed so that people recycle more of their waste.

To begin with, waste disposal is considered one of the major issue in the world right now because of many reasons. Firstly, a good amount of non-degradable waste is dumped into seas and oceans, which cause a significant amount of damage to the aquatic life. Plastics which are dumped in oceans are sometimes eaten by marine animals like turtles and fishes resulting in health issues faced by them. Secondly, some of the non-recyclable waste is also burnt at few sites. Burning of this waste releases many harmful gases like carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. These gases, when inhaled, cause serious health issues not only to humans but also to other living organisms as well.

Therefore, it is necessary to separate recyclable waste from the waste which could not be recycled. Moreover, wastes should also be separated according to its time for degradation, as recycling methods used to recycle them are very different. To illustrate, plastic is a very harmful substance because it takes years to be completely disposed whereas paper takes only a few days to be recycled. It is recommended that both wastes are separated before recycling process begins. If people treat both substances equally then machines will have a tough time figuring out which waste is plastic and which is not. It is crucial for the government to make strict laws regarding recycling of the waste because otherwise, people will not follow them as they feel that there is no visible damage caused if they if they ignore the laws.

All in all, it is evident that government should implement laws for recycling wastes and people who choose to disobey these laws should be punished because it is the only way to recycle waste from homes.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. You have identified the need for government intervention and supported this with arguments regarding environmental damage and the necessity of waste separation. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While the environmental impact of waste is well-explained, the link between legal requirements and the actual behavioral change in citizens could have been explored with more depth. The essay remains focused on the topic, but some arguments, such as the specific mechanics of how machines sort waste, are slightly tangential to the core issue of whether laws are the most effective solution.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'Moreover' to guide the reader through your arguments. However, the use of these devices is occasionally mechanical. The transition between the discussion of environmental damage and the call for government legislation could be smoother. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the central idea of each paragraph is generally clear, though the flow within the second body paragraph is slightly repetitive regarding the separation of waste.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'non-degradable', 'aquatic life', and 'implement laws'. There are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'major issue' (should be plural 'major issues') and 'at few sites' (should be 'at a few sites'). While you attempt to use more specific vocabulary, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on simpler phrasing in some areas. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise collocations and less common academic vocabulary to express your ideas with greater sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You show a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'which cause a significant amount' (should be 'which causes'), 'fishes' (the plural of fish is usually 'fish'), and 'wastes should also be separated' (waste is an uncountable noun here). Additionally, there is a repetition error in the third paragraph ('they... if they'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. You should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct usage of countable and uncountable nouns to improve your accuracy.

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

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