Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-26

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)

There is an ongoing debate on the issue that people are not recycling sufficient household waste. The recyling can only be encouraged by the legislation imposed by the Government. I strongly agree with the given statement that laws can push people to follow the goverment rules and more of the wastes can be recycled this way. This essay will depict the importance of laws to make people recycle more waste by using real world examples.

To start with, Government and people should feel more concerned about the problem of throwing more of the wste outside without considering its impact on the environment. The rubbish is destroying the natural habitats of animals. The aquatic life is also affected largely due to the waste people throw in water while visiting the beaches. For instance, a global data from a well renowned company showed that the particular kind pf aquatic life has been on the verge of 70%extinction due to the plastic bags which we throw in the water without any hesitation.

Nevertheless, this problem can be accounted by the Government by the formation of new laws which also includes penalties in case of non-compliance. Beside this, the punishments and penalties also play vital role. Moreover, Government also should take step by motivating people to go for recycling which is an environment friendly act. For example, in Germany Gevernment has installed machines in which people can put their empty plastic bottles for recycling purpose and in exchange they get money for each bottle. So, more and more people collects empty water bottle to recycle just to get money. Furthermore, Goverment should place bins with the logos of paper and bottles in every street and in every corner of recreational areas. Cameras should be used to analyse people who do not bid by the rules. Just like this proper rules for household waste recycling should also be implemented by the Government.

In conclusion, to encourage more recycling os waste particularly from houses, Government should take proper action strtictly. In this way, this problem would seen be eradicated from our society.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, taking a clear and well-supported position in agreement with the statement that legal requirements are necessary to boost recycling rates. The introduction outlines the writer's stance, and body paragraphs present arguments related to environmental damage and government intervention. Real-world examples, such as the deposit-return scheme in Germany, are successfully introduced to support the central thesis. While some of the supporting points could be further elaborated with greater depth, the overall task is addressed competently and clearly. The requirements are fully satisfied, earning a band score of 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear progression of ideas from introduction to conclusion. Paragraphing is utilised adequately, with distinct sections for the introduction, body arguments, and conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive, as seen with transitional phrases like 'To start with,' 'Nevertheless,' and 'Furthermore.' Referencing is generally clear, but occasional clunky transitions disrupt the natural flow of reading. Overall, the structural progression is logical enough to meet the criteria for a band 6.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to communicate their ideas effectively. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary and topic-specific terms, such as 'legislation,' 'non-compliance,' 'environment friendly,' and 'recreational areas.' However, there are notable spelling errors ('recyling,' 'goverment,' 'wste,' 'Gevernment,' 'strtictly') and minor word choice inaccuracies ('the waste people throw in water,' 'this problem can be accounted by'). These lexical limitations and errors restrict the score to a band 6.0, as they occasionally draw attention without impeding overall communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and conditional-style structures. There are, however, frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the Government,' 'a global data'), prepositions ('throw in water'), and subject-verb agreement ('more and more people collects'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but structural inaccuracies persist throughout the essay. Because these errors do not severely impede communication and a mix of structures is attempted, the writing aligns best with the band 6.0 descriptors.

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