Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-17

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 contemporary era, whether enough waste is recycled or not has become a subject of extreme debate. Some people believe that waste material can only be recycled if Government gets involved in this matter. I strongly believe that Government involvement will bring revolutionary changes in this matter.

Nowadays, people don't show any concern about the waste they create. Thet just spread trash all around and go away.They don't even think that it's their duty to keep their environment clean.When people don't pay heed to this matter the pollution in the environment increases and the rate of recycling is already low. For example in Narowal , many workshop workers throw away their garbage on the road and streets.No laws are being implemented by the government to control them. So, there are requirements to implement laws on people to make them avoid these activities.

Furthermore, laws make all the people to remain in limits. Rules and regulations will make people to do those activities which are essential for the better condition of their environment. In addition, government should sign the projects for the construction of the factories and other industries which will be responsile for the recycling of the waste materials present in our environment due to human activities.

In conclusion, there is a merit of reducing waste material by the individuals on their own, but government's invovement in this matter will have a great impact on the environmental pollution as by doing so the garbage in our surrounding will be reduced to the high extent.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear: you support government involvement and argue that laws can discourage littering and improve recycling. The Narowal example gives the response a relevant, concrete illustration. However, the task asks how far laws are needed, and the discussion mainly asserts that rules are necessary rather than weighing their role against other measures or explaining whether laws alone would be sufficient. The point about building recycling factories is relevant, but its connection to legal requirements and household recycling is not fully explained. To develop the response further, explain how a specific law—such as separating household waste—would work, and consider complementary measures such as convenient collection or public education.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion. Ideas generally move from careless disposal, to the need for rules, and then to government-supported recycling facilities. Linking expressions such as “Furthermore,” “In addition” and “In conclusion” help signal these stages. However, progression within the body paragraphs is sometimes abrupt: the example of workshop workers is followed by a claim about laws without explaining how enforcement would change their behaviour, and the factory proposal introduces a related but distinct idea. Some references, such as “this matter” and “by doing so,” are broad, so the reader must infer their precise meaning. Make each paragraph develop one main point and use clearer links between claims, examples and outcomes.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of topic-related vocabulary, including “recycled,” “pollution,” “rules and regulations” and “construction of the factories.” These choices make the subject clear, and phrases such as “environmental pollution” show an attempt to use more formal language. However, several expressions are imprecise or unnatural, including “remain in limits,” “sign the projects” and “reduced to the high extent.” There are also noticeable spelling errors, such as “Thet,” “responsile” and “invovement,” which reduce accuracy. Some wording is repetitive, particularly repeated references to “this matter” and “people.” Aim for precise collocations and vary key terms—for example, refer to “enforce recycling regulations” and “expand waste-processing facilities.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a conditional structure in “When people don't pay heed to this matter…” and a relative clause in “factories and other industries which will be…” The overall meaning is usually understandable. However, some sentence patterns are inaccurate, as in “laws make all the people to remain in limits” and “Rules and regulations will make people to do”; after “make,” use the object plus the base verb without “to.” There are also errors in articles, agreement and punctuation, such as “there are requirements” where a more natural construction is needed, and missing spaces after full stops in “away.They” and “streets.No.” Review sentence boundaries and practise accurate complex clauses alongside simpler, controlled sentences.

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