Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-06
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)
Nowadays, a large amount of household waste is not recycled. some people believed that the only effective way for recycling is for government to make it a legal requirement. I partly agree with this view because laws encourage the citizens to recycle waste, but education and financial initiatives are also important.
On one hand, making recycling compulsory can increase the amount of waste recycled. If individuals are legally bound to recycle the waste they are more likely to develop this habit. Government should also introduce fines for the households who do not follow the rules. For example government should provide separate bins for plastic, glass and paper and people are required to use them, the amount of recyclable waste sent to landfills can be reduced.
On the other hand, laws only are not enough to encourage recycling. the citizens also need to be fully aware of what recycling is, For this purpose government needs to start the educational campaigns about recycling in schools and communities. Some financial initiative could encourage recycling. For instance, citizens could receive some rewards and discounts for regularly recycling their waste. These measure simply encourage the individuals to adopt this habit rather then forcing them to do it.
In conclusion, I believe that laws are necessary to increase recycling as everyone is bound to follow them, but they should not be the only solution. A combination of legal requirements, public education and financial incentives would be more effective in encouraging people to recycle more of their household waste.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing a clear position that laws are necessary but insufficient on their own. The ideas are relevant and logically extended, such as the suggestion of financial incentives and educational campaigns. However, the development is somewhat brief. While the arguments are clear, they could benefit from more specific examples or deeper analysis to reach a higher band. The position is consistent throughout the essay, and the conclusion effectively synthesizes the main points. To improve, ensure that each supporting idea is fully explored with more detailed explanations or real-world evidence.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two sides of the argument. Cohesive devices such as 'On one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with punctuation and sentence flow, such as the comma splice in the second paragraph ('...plastic, glass and paper and people are required to use them, the amount...'). Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary such as 'recyclable waste', 'landfills', and 'financial initiatives'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional errors in word choice and phrasing, such as 'laws only are not enough' (should be 'laws alone are not enough') and 'these measure' (should be 'these measures'). To achieve a higher score, the student should aim to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and precise terminology to demonstrate a wider range of lexical control.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('some people believed' should be 'believe') and missing articles ('government' should be 'the government'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some run-on sentences and missing commas. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article usage would significantly improve the accuracy of the writing.
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.