Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-13
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)
As far as this topic is concerned, I would like to say that the 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. Which has always been debatable and has now become more controversial with many people claiming that it is beneficial while others reject this notion. The substantial influence of this trend has sparked the controversy over the potential impact in the recent years. From my perspective, the former proposition appears to be more rational. This essay will further elaborate my views for favoring the positive or negative impact of this trend and thus will lead to a logical conclusion.
Analyzing the statement further, the primary reason behind this is that making recycling compulsory can significantly increase the amount of waste that is recycled. If people are legally required to separate recyclable materials such as plastic, glass and paper, they are more likely to follow this practice. Categorically discussing, it cannot be ignored that the main reason behind this is that especially in our country, it has far-reaching consequences.Schools and media campaigns can teach people how to separate different types of waste. In addition, governments can provide separate recycling bins and make recycling facilities easily available
Moving further, it is pertinent to mention that it is the basic duty of the government to provide a safe and stable society for the betterment of the public. It is imperative for the authorities concerned to look into the factor behind this issue and take a drastic action against the concerned persons.
To encapsulate, I would like to appeal to the learned figures to come forward, focus their gaze at this issue and launch a vigorous campaign to reform it across the society.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses the prompt by discussing the role of government legislation in boosting recycling rates, presenting a clear position that laws are necessary. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive and relies heavily on formulaic phrasing rather than deep elaboration. While the writer mentions separating materials and government duties, paragraphs contain filler sentences such as 'Moving further, it is pertinent to mention...' which do not adequately extend the arguments with concrete examples. Furthermore, the phrasing 'favouring the positive or negative impact' in the introduction shows some confusion, as the prompt asks to what extent laws are needed rather than a binary positive/negative outcome. Overall, the task is addressed, but the depth of support places this in the Band 6 category.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement and follows a standard essay structure with an introduction and body paragraphs. However, cohesive devices are frequently mechanical or used inappropriately. For instance, phrases like 'Which has always been debatable' leave a sentence fragment, and transitions such as 'Moving further' and 'To encapsulate, I would like to appeal' are overly formulaic and sometimes misapplied. Paragraphing is attempted, but the body paragraphs lack clear internal progression and logical connection, jumping between recycling education and government duties rather than developing a unified argument. Referencing is occasionally unclear, impacting the overall flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting some less common collocations and phrases such as 'far-reaching consequences' and 'vigorous campaign'. However, there are notable limitations and awkward word choices throughout the text. For example, 'focus their gaze at this issue' is unnatural, and the introductory paragraph contains heavy reliance on templated language that feels memorised rather than naturally integrated. While communication is not severely impeded, the presence of frequent awkward collocations and limited precision prevents the essay from reaching a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writing exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control is inconsistent. There is a major grammatical error in the opening paragraph where a dependent clause is punctuated as a complete sentence: 'Which has always been debatable and has now become more controversial...' Furthermore, other sentences are overly convoluted or awkwardly phrased, such as 'take a drastic action against the concerned persons.' While there are error-free sentences, frequent minor errors in punctuation and clause structure are noticeable. The complexity attempted is often faulty, placing this response solidly in the Band 5.5 range.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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