Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-24
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 6.5)
With the rapid advancements of the modern world the priorities and preferences of people have undergone significant transforomation. some people claim that not enough og the waste from himes is recycled and they also believe that the only way to increase recycling is for governments to make it a legal requirement.The following paragraphs will analyze both sides of the argument and state my opinion.
On the one hand, making recycling a legal requirement can significantly increase the amount of waste that is recycled. Many people may understand the environmental importance of recycling but fail to do so because they consider it inconvenient or unnecessary. If governments require households to separate recyclable materials such as paper, plastic, glass and metal, people are more likely to recycle regularly. Moreover, reasonable fines for repeated non-compliance could discourage individuals from ignoring these regulations. As a result, less waste would be sent to landfill sites, reducing environmental pollution and conserving valuable natural resources.
On the other hand, laws alone cannot guarantee that people will recycle correctly. Some households may not know which materials are recyclable or how they should be separated. Therefore, governments should conduct public awareness campaigns to explain the environmental benefits of recycling and provide clear instructions about waste separation. In addition, recycling must be convenient and accessible. Providing separate bins, regular collection services and recycling centres would make it much easier for households to comply with the rules. For example, if residents are given clearly labelled bins and their recyclable waste is collected regularly, they are more likely to develop recycling as a routine habit.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0
The student addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the role of legal requirements in boosting recycling and acknowledging that laws alone are insufficient, offering alternative solutions such as public awareness campaigns and infrastructure improvements. A clear position is stated in the introduction and maintained throughout the essay. The ideas are relevant, extended, and supported by logical explanations and examples, such as separating recyclable materials and providing clearly labelled bins. Although the prompt asked 'To what extent do you think laws are needed', the student leans towards a balanced perspective rather than taking a definitive stance on the exact degree, which fits comfortably within a Band 7 descriptor.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The essay displays a clear overall progression with a logical layout, divided into an introduction, two body paragraphs, but noticeably missing a concluding paragraph. Ideas within paragraphs are well-linked using appropriate cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'Moreover', and 'Therefore'. Paragraphing is generally used appropriately to separate different arguments, though the absence of a distinct conclusion slightly impacts overall cohesion. Referencing and substitution are clear, meaning that despite the missing conclusion, the logical flow between sentences remains smooth and easy to follow throughout.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
The student demonstrates an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using topic-specific terms such as 'recyclable materials', 'landfill sites', 'environmental pollution', and 'public awareness campaigns'. There are some spelling and typographical errors, such as 'transforomation', 'og', and 'himes', which detract from the lexical score. However, less common items are attempted with reasonable success, and the meaning is never impeded by these minor slips, aligning the response well with the Band 6 descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over conditional structures and relative clauses, such as 'If governments require households to separate recyclable materials... people are more likely to recycle regularly.' Punctuation and capitalisation errors are present, particularly at the beginning of sentences and following punctuation marks, such as 'transforomation. some people' and missing capital letters or spacing issues after periods. Despite these mechanical and occasional grammatical errors, the structures do not impede communication, allowing the essay to achieve a solid Band 6.0 for grammar.
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