Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-13

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)

Many people believe that the garbage coming out of houses is not being reused. There is no doubt that to promote recycling, it is crucial for authorities to make it leagally compulsary.

In my opinion, it is necessary for us to reuse the rubbish coming out of our homes in daily lives. Upgrading and converting things in to useful manner is important. Goverment officials should spread more awareness about this concern by conducting workshops in communities and make it mandatory.

Due to the emerging concern of consuming plastic, it should be avoided by the mainstream companies. Political officials should make it legal to do not use any plastic bottles, bags and food packaging because of the rising health concerns. Instead glass bottles and cloth bags should be introduced. These things can be use again and again and have no negative impacts on our well-being. Eventhough processed food coming in plastic packaging is also health concerning. Government should take this into action as well.

Furthermore, the food waste coming out of kitchen can also be used as a compost. For instance, compost is very beneficial in gardening and feed for some animal by adding some nutrients to it. Compost coming out of houses is usually clean and natural, and it can work as an appropriate food for plants as well as some animal around us. Therefore, government should aware people about it. Different meetings can be conduct and procedures can be taught. Otherwise all this waste can be harmful for many living and enhaling the air of it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You give a relevant position: you support making recycling compulsory and suggest government action on household waste. The examples of replacing plastic packaging and using food scraps as compost address the topic, but the response focuses more on reducing plastic use and raising awareness than explaining how laws would increase household recycling. The opening repeats the claim rather than clearly setting out your own extent of agreement, and the final paragraph does not fully explain what legal requirements households should follow or how they would work. Develop the central argument by stating whether laws are essential, then explain specific measures—such as separating waste or penalties—and support them with a clear example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction followed by paragraphs on plastic and food waste, and linking expressions such as “Furthermore” and “Therefore” help signal connections. However, progression is sometimes unclear because several points are placed together without showing how they support the main argument. For example, the paragraph about plastic moves from companies to health concerns and alternatives, while the compost paragraph repeats that compost benefits plants and animals. Some references, such as “all this waste,” are also broad. Give each paragraph one main purpose, connect its example directly to the need for laws, and use a concluding sentence to summarise your position.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use topic-related vocabulary, including “recycling,” “compost,” “food packaging,” and “health concerns,” so the reader can follow the general subject. There are also attempts at more specific expressions, such as “mainstream companies” and “negative impacts,” although some choices are inaccurate or unnatural and occasionally make the meaning less clear. Examples include “garbage coming out of houses,” “upgrading and converting things in to useful manner,” and “enhaling the air of it.” Spelling errors such as “leagally” and “Goverment” also reduce accuracy. Build a more precise set of collocations for waste management and check spelling and word forms when editing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a reason clause beginning “because of” and a contrast introduced by “Even though.” However, control is inconsistent, and errors in sentence structure, verb forms, and agreement sometimes make ideas difficult to interpret. For example, “it is legal to do not use” has an incorrect verb pattern, “These things can be use” has an incorrect passive form, and “Different meetings can be conduct” repeats this problem. The sentence beginning “Even though processed food…” is incomplete, while “government should aware people” is missing a verb construction. Practise complete clauses and passive forms, then proofread each sentence for a clear subject and correctly formed verb.

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