Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-17
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)
It is true that the amount of waste recycled from homes is very low. Some people argue that only strict laws can force people to recycle. I somewhat agree with this view. While laws are very effective, education is also important.
On the one hand, making recycling a legal requirement is necessary. Firstly, people are often lazy and do not care about the environment. If there is no punishment, they will not recycle. For example, in my city Bhilwara, people throw all waste in one bin. Secondly, a fine can change behaviour quickly. In countries like Germany and Singapore, government charges heavy fines if people do not separate waste, and their recycling rate is over 60%.
On the other hand, only laws cannot solve the problem. The government should also educate people. Many people do not know how to recycle or why it is important. Schools should teach children about recycling and local councils should provide separate bins for plastic, glass and organic waste. If facilities are not available, even laws will fail.
In conclusion, I believe that laws are essential to increase recycling, but they should be combined with awareness campaigns and better facilities. This combination will be most effective.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the necessity of laws and the importance of education and facilities in increasing household recycling. A clear position is stated in the introduction, where the writer expresses a somewhat balanced view. Ideas are supported with relevant examples, such as mentioning Germany, Singapore, and the student's own city of Bhilwara. However, the development is somewhat limited due to the overall brevity of the essay. Crucially, the response falls below the minimum required length of 250 words, containing only 201 words. This under-length issue restricts the full development of ideas, preventing the essay from achieving a higher band score under Task Achievement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized into four paragraphs, following a clear introduction, two body paragraphs addressing opposing sides, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used to signal progression, such as 'On the one hand', 'Secondly', and 'In conclusion'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. However, the referencing and linking are sometimes a bit mechanical, and transitions between sentences could be smoother. Overall, the arrangement is coherent, allowing the reader to follow the writer's line of thought easily, which aligns well with the requirements for a Band 6.0 in this criterion.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with appropriate topic-specific terms such as 'recycling rate', 'legal requirement', 'awareness campaigns', and 'organic waste'. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary items, including 'punishment', 'behaviour', and 'essential'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional basic word choices. Spelling and word formation are generally accurate throughout the response. The lexical resource demonstrates sufficient flexibility to communicate the main ideas clearly, matching the descriptor for Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The writer demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing conditional structures like 'If there is no punishment, they will not recycle' and 'If facilities are not available, even laws will fail.' There is good control over basic grammar and punctuation. While there are a few minor grammatical slips—such as missing articles in phrases like 'government charges heavy fines' instead of 'governments charge heavy fines'—these errors do not impede communication. The majority of simple sentences are accurate, supporting a solid Band 6.0 performance for grammar.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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