Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-15

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)

Nowadays, a large amount of waste from homes is not recycled. Some people believe that governments should make recycling a legal requirement. I partly agree with this view because laws can encourage people to recycle, but other methods are also necessary.

Firstly, laws can be useful to increase recycling. If governments make recycling compulsory, people may become more careful about separating different types of waste. For example, households could be required to separate plastic, paper and food waste into different bins. People who do not follow the rules could receive a fine. As a result, more waste could be recycled and less rubbish would be sent to landfills.

However, I do not think laws are the only solution. Governments should also educate people about the importance of recycling. Schools, television and social media can be used to explain how recycling helps the environment. In addition, governments should provide enough recycling bins and collection services in residential areas. If recycling is easy and convenient, more people are likely to do it willingly.

In conclusion, I believe that laws can play an important role in increasing recycling, but they should not be the only method. Public education and convenient recycling facilities are also needed to encourage people to recycle more.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response partially addresses all parts of the task by discussing whether laws are needed to make people recycle more. You present a clear position in the introduction stating that you partly agree that laws can encourage recycling, but that other methods are necessary. You support this view with relevant ideas, such as compulsory sorting and fines, alongside educational campaigns and infrastructure improvements. However, a major limitation is that the response contains only 208 words, falling well short of the official 250-word minimum requirement for Task 2. Because of this under-length penalty, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and the task cannot be fully satisfied at a higher band level, corresponding to a Band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response exhibits a clear overall structure and a logical progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a distinct focus: the introduction outlines your stance, the second body paragraph argues for laws, the third introduces alternative solutions like education and infrastructure, and the conclusion summarizes your main points. Cohesive devices are used adequately to connect your thoughts, such as 'Firstly,' 'However,' 'In addition,' and 'In conclusion.' Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately to separate distinct arguments. Although the cohesion is somewhat mechanical in places, the organization of ideas is easy to follow throughout, meeting the criteria for Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully using terms such as 'compulsory,' 'landfills,' 'infrastructure,' and 'convenient.' There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, and your word choice is generally clear and understandable. Spelling and word choice are accurate, and communication is never impeded. However, the vocabulary lacks the wide, flexible range and precision required for higher bands, as many terms are somewhat basic or repetitive (e.g., repeating 'recycle' and 'waste' frequently). This lexical profile aligns well with the descriptors for Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, featuring conditional sentences like 'If governments make recycling compulsory, people may become more careful...' and 'If recycling is easy and convenient, more people are likely to do it willingly.' There is good control of basic grammar and punctuation, and the majority of simple sentences are entirely error-free. Complex structures are attempted with reasonable success, and occasional errors do not impede communication at all. The grammatical control is solid, making Band 6.0 an appropriate score for this criterion.

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

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