Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-15

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)

Waste recycling is important to keep the environment clean because this waste material is one of the factor which causes pollution. The people say that recycling of waste from houses is less and the government should have to make laws for waste recycling. I am strongly agree with this that the government should make laws so, the people recycle more waste.

Firstly, the reason behind my opinion is that, if the waste is recycled the pollution gradually decrease beacuse waste casues pollution. When the pollution is less in any country people automatically become healthier and progress of the country increases. As you know, healthy person work efficiently as compared to unhealthy man.

Secondly, if the government take action and make laws for waste recycling than the products which are considered useless they eventually become usefull after the process of recycling. In this way, there is a double benefit of recycling, removal of waste from environment and making of usefull product.

As I said the government should have to take action about waste recycling mostly people are agree with me, because waste causes many harmful effects.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response4.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You take a clear position in favour of laws, stating that the government should make rules so people recycle more. You also give relevant reasons: recycling can reduce pollution and turn discarded materials into useful products. However, the response only partially develops the task. It does not explain how legal requirements would change household behaviour, nor consider whether laws alone are sufficient or what other measures might help. The claims about healthier people and national progress are asserted rather than supported with a specific example. The response is also 65 words below the required minimum, which limits the space available to explain and illustrate your ideas. Develop each reason with a clear explanation and a relevant example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs signalled by “Firstly” and “Secondly,” and a concluding sentence. This helps the reader identify your main position and reasons. However, progression is limited because the final paragraph largely repeats the introduction rather than drawing the argument together, and the links between recycling, public health, and national progress are not fully explained. Some linking is mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “As I said” and “In this way.” Build a clearer sequence within each body paragraph: state one reason, explain how it supports legal requirements, and then give an example. A conclusion that summarises the argument without simply repeating it would also improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the basic argument, including “recycling,” “pollution,” “government,” and “environment.” There are also attempts at more specific expressions such as “products which are considered useless.” However, the range is limited and several choices or forms are inaccurate or repetitive, including “waste material,” “usefull,” and repeated references to “waste” and “laws.” These errors are noticeable, though the main meaning is generally understandable. Aim for more precise environmental vocabulary and check spelling and word forms. For example, distinguish between household waste and recyclable materials, and use natural collocations such as “introduce mandatory recycling rules” rather than repeating “make laws for waste recycling.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer conditional or relative clauses, as in “if the waste is recycled” and “products which are considered useless.” This shows some effort to vary sentence structure, and the overall meaning can usually be followed. However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction. Examples include “I am strongly agree,” “the pollution gradually decrease,” and “if the government take action.” The opening sentence also has an agreement error in “one of the factor.” Practise forming conditional sentences and checking that subjects and verbs agree; for example, “If waste is recycled, pollution gradually decreases” and “If the government takes action.” More accurate control of these patterns would make your reasoning easier to read.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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