Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-10
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)
Most of the people believe that waste from homes can be recycle and they also argue that the only method to increase recycling from governmnets that to make it a legal requirements. I partially agree with this statement, the government have to play a crucial role in waste management to change the law and not only government but also individual has to follow the rules.
To begin with, why I agree with this statement that governments should be increase a recycling by creating a strict laws. It helps the people to followed the rule by throwing wastes in the road or water will be strictly fine and get punishment from the police because that products can recycle again. For example, look at the Kathmandu, most of the people throw the waste products or anything in the road and water without knowing that waste is useful for us.
On the other hand, not only the government has to produce a laws to increase recycling waste, the individual can also do the same task without government rule followed. They have the authority to recycle the waste which can be recycle not a waste that cannot be reproduced such as vegetables, fruits or other. For instance, people can collects the garbage which is not useful them and they can sell to the factories to reproduce again the same products. It helps people to protect from poor environment which has been thrown on the road and also save clean water and it is one of the most benefit for both human and animal.
In conclusion, government can protects the environment by throwing wastes which is useful from the future harm, so they have to bring some laws. While individuals has the main point, they have to follow the rules and laws and how to manage the waste material.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| 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 the role of government legislation and individual responsibility in recycling. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you state a partial agreement, the arguments regarding how laws would specifically function or why they are necessary are underdeveloped. For instance, the example of Kathmandu is relevant but lacks a clear connection to how legal requirements would solve the issue beyond mentioning 'punishment'. To improve, ensure each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and provides a more detailed explanation of the 'why' and 'how' behind your arguments to reach a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use basic cohesive devices like 'To begin with', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' to signal transitions. However, the flow within paragraphs is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing and repetitive sentence structures. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the final paragraph where the connection between 'throwing wastes' and 'future harm' is ambiguous. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence logically follows the previous one to create a smoother progression of ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is quite repetitive and lacks precision. You frequently use basic terms like 'waste', 'products', and 'things'. There are also some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'produce a laws' instead of 'enact laws' or 'reproduce again' instead of 'recycle'. While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, which prevents a higher score. Try to incorporate more topic-specific collocations related to environmental management and sustainability to demonstrate a broader lexical range.
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 readability. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('government have to play', 'individual has to follow'), incorrect article usage, and awkward sentence construction ('why I agree with this statement that governments should be increase a recycling'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma splices. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence patterns and proofreading for subject-verb agreement and article usage. Reducing these frequent errors will significantly improve the clarity of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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