Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-16

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)

In modern city, the household waste becomes a serious threat for the ecosystem. Some people argue that not enough of waste from home is recycled. They say that the only solution to rise recycling is for government to make it a legal requirement. In my opinion, I strongly agree.

Governments must implement a strict regulation for individuals to lessen the waste in the community. The strong laws force the public to recycle their rubbish. As a result, a significant amount of waste will decrease in many buildings and public spaces. Local authorities obligate offenders to pay heavy fines because they do not recycle their trash and pollute the natural environment. For instance, in Japan, everyone preserves the ecosystem by using a special separate waste bins found in various sites.

There are many effective solutions to solve the problem. Launching awareness campaigns and seminars encourage upcycling and improve the knowledge about the environment in general. Creating effective sustainable waste management develops the recycling process to the highest level, therefore, it maintains human well-being and mental health. For example, charity competitions are a beneficial method to encourage people to recycle rubbish quickly, especially when they win a valuable prize.

In conclusion, the recycling waste process is an essential issue for both governments and individuals. Many effective solutions can solve this problem, for example, implementing a strict law on people, as well as making various competitions to encourage citizens to maintain the environment. Finally, the results will have a favorable impact on the natural ecosystem.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, exploring whether recycling should be made a legal requirement while also touching upon alternative solutions like awareness campaigns. The student takes a clear position in the introduction stating, 'In my opinion, I strongly agree,' and maintains this stance throughout. Ideas are generally relevant, such as mentioning the strict regulations in Japan and the use of separate waste bins. However, some arguments lack sufficient extension and depth, particularly when discussing alternative solutions in the third paragraph, which reads slightly like a list of disconnected ideas rather than fully developed points. Nevertheless, the main task requirements are met with a clear position and supporting examples, aligning well with a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is arranged coherently, with a discernible introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Paragraphing is utilised appropriately to separate main ideas, such as focusing on government regulations in the second paragraph and alternative solutions in the third. However, cohesion is at times mechanical or slightly faulty. For example, the transition 'There are many effective solutions to solve the problem' feels abrupt, and the use of connectors such as 'therefore' is occasionally punctuation-faulty (e.g., comma splices like '...process to the highest level, therefore, it maintains...'). Referencing is mostly clear, but the overall progression could be smoother. These characteristics reflect a solid Band 6.0 performance for this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 'ecosystem', 'sustainable waste management', 'local authorities', and 'awareness campaigns'. However, there are noticeable word-choice errors and awkward collocations that reveal limitations, such as 'rise recycling' instead of 'increase recycling', 'lessen the waste' rather than 'reduce waste', and 'special separate waste bins'. Additionally, 'the recycling waste process' is slightly unnatural. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the score from reaching a higher band, comfortably placing the lexical resource at Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at relative clauses and conditional ideas (e.g., 'especially when they win a valuable prize'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'In modern city' (missing article/pluralisation), 'not enough of waste', and punctuation issues including run-on sentences and comma splices. Despite these errors, the meaning remains comprehensible throughout and communication is not impeded. The control of grammar corresponds closely to the descriptor profile for Band 6.0.

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