Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-10

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 this continously evolving era, some individuals argue that insufficient of thr refuse from households is reprocessed .they belive that the sole method to rise waste recovery is for authorities make it mandatory .This essay will discuss my complete agree extensively in the subsquent paragraphs along with the conclusion.

On the one hand,the primary reason why i agree is that 'REDUCE ENVIROMENT POLLUTION' ,To explicate ,recyling plastic,paper and glass reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and helps keep the environment clean .For intance ,if households recycle plastic bottles, fewer plastic items will end up in river and on roads .

On the other hand , another compelling reason is that 'REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF LANDFILL WASTE' .This is because recycling allows resable materials to processed intead of being dumped , saving land and reducing waste -management problems.For intance, sepatrating food waste,paper and plastic can reduce the quantity of rubbish sent to landfill sities .

In my conclusion, i strongly agree that governments should introduce mandatory recycling laws because they can promote responsible waste management, reduce environmental pollution and conserve valuable natural resources.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

Your position is clear: you strongly support making recycling compulsory, and you give relevant reasons, including reducing pollution and landfill waste. The examples of recycling bottles and separating household rubbish help connect these points to everyday life. However, the response addresses the task only partially because it does not explain in much detail why laws are needed specifically, or consider whether other measures could also increase recycling. The two main points are also quite similar and remain brief. The response is 66 words below the required minimum, which limits the space available to develop your reasoning and examples. Explain how legal requirements might change behaviour, and extend each reason with a specific explanation or example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs signposted with “On the one hand” and “On the other hand,” and a conclusion that restates your position. This makes the overall arrangement easy to follow. However, the linking phrases feel somewhat mechanical, and the two body paragraphs follow nearly identical patterns rather than building a clear progression. The opening promises a discussion, but the essay does not develop a distinct line of reasoning about the role of laws. Improve cohesion by linking each paragraph’s main claim to the question and showing how the second reason adds to the first. Use referencing and transitions naturally, rather than relying mainly on formulaic signposts.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “recycled,” “landfills,” “mandatory,” “waste management,” and “natural resources.” These choices show an attempt to discuss the subject directly. However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable and sometimes make the reader pause, as in “continously,” “recyling,” “resable,” and “sepatrating.” Some expressions are also unnatural or imprecise: “insufficient of the refuse” and “rise waste recovery” do not communicate the intended ideas smoothly. The range is adequate for basic points, but repeated phrases such as “reduce” and “waste” limit flexibility. Check spelling carefully and learn common collocations, such as “increase recycling rates” and “household waste.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, for example, “This is because recycling allows reusable materials to be processed instead of being dumped, saving land…” This shows some ability to connect ideas within a sentence. However, the range is limited, and errors in sentence construction and punctuation are frequent enough to affect clarity. In the introduction, “for authorities make it mandatory” needs a grammatical structure such as “for authorities to make it mandatory.” The opening also runs several sentences together with inconsistent capitalisation and spacing, while “fewer plastic items will end up in river” needs an article or plural form. Practise accurate complex clauses and review articles, infinitives, sentence boundaries, and punctuation.

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