Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-07
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 5.0)
Some people say that a liitle amount of household waste is recycled. They say that the government should take legal actions about recycling.
There are two main problems, One is lack of awareness in public and less amount of workers and dustbins.
The major problem is lack of awareness. Numerous people do not know which thing is recycleable or not also the don't know which specific dustbin is for that waste. that caused the waste of recycleable material. Government should make some public awareness teams that gives awareness in schools and socities.
The other big problem is availablity of less dustbins near houses, so many people threw waste in open land or in water bodies. The governmtent should provide dustibns for each type of waste and make a proper teams to collect that garbage and transport it to the recycling factories.
For example, in the past there was no dustbin in our town so there is alwas dust and garbage on roads, parks and open areas but now the government has established a prpoer institute that provides dustbins, collect waste and recycle it. Now our town looks very beautiful and pleasing. Now the parks are green and the roads are clean.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5
You identify relevant barriers to recycling—limited public awareness and a lack of bins—and give a local example of improvement after the town introduced waste collection and recycling. However, the question asks how far laws are needed, and your response does not clearly state whether you agree that legal requirements are necessary or explain how laws would change people’s behaviour. Instead, it mainly recommends awareness teams and better facilities, so the central issue is only partially addressed. The example supports the value of government action, but it does not show that a legal requirement was introduced. The response is also 49 words below the required minimum, leaving too little space to develop your position and supporting reasons. State your view directly and explain whether education and facilities can work without penalties or should be combined with legislation.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two paragraphs describing problems and solutions, and a final example. This makes the main points reasonably easy to follow. The sequence from awareness to bin availability is logical, and phrases such as “The major problem” and “The other big problem” signal the paragraph topics. However, the opening promises “two main problems” but also mentions “less amount of workers” without developing that point. The final example is not clearly linked back to the question of whether laws are needed, and repeated use of “Now” makes the ending feel list-like. Use a clearer progression from your position, to reasons, to evidence, and finish by connecting the example to your argument about legislation.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the general subject, including “household waste,” “public awareness,” “dustbins,” “recycling factories,” and “water bodies.” Some phrases also show an attempt to be specific, such as “a proper team to collect that garbage.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or spellings make the writing less precise, including “a liitle amount,” “recycleable,” “availablity,” and “prpoer institute.” Some expressions are also unnatural, such as “make some public awareness teams” and “less amount of workers.” Build a more accurate set of collocations for discussing policy and waste management, and check spelling carefully. More precise vocabulary would help you explain the distinction between providing services, educating residents, and requiring recycling by law.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
Most sentences use straightforward structures, and the reader can generally understand the intended meaning. You also attempt to connect ideas with clauses, for example, “The other big problem is availability of less dustbins near houses, so many people threw waste…” However, the range is limited, and errors recur in sentence boundaries, agreement, articles, and verb forms. In “Numerous people do not know which thing is recyclable or not also the don't know,” the clauses need clearer punctuation and a correct pronoun; “that caused the waste” also shifts awkwardly from present discussion to past tense. The opening has an unnecessary capital in “One,” while “there is always dust” does not agree with the plural idea that follows. Practise accurate compound and complex sentences, and check tense and agreement as you edit.
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