Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-20
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)
In this essay i will discuss the issue that not enough of the waste from homes is recycled.The only way to increase recycling is for government to make it legal requirement.
To begin with,There are a lot of issue are related with recycling the waste from homes.People are literaly throwing waste on the streets and it causes harm to animals and environment and because of their mistakes a lot of viruses and diseases are spreading.People should take care of environment and innocent animals.
Moreover,If people are still not listening to the government then government shoud take legal action against those people.There are few laws government should implement like a fine or any other legal notice it can make them listen to the government.If enough of the waste not coming out of the houses then they can even increase fine or a heavy fine this time so they will learn how to behave properly if people are not taking government and their laws seriously they can make even strict laws and rules.
Overall,i believe that implementing a lot rules wont be effective.Government should act sweetly and tell them the affects their mistakes are causing harm to the environment and animals and if people are still not taking them seriously then they can can fine people and take legal action
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5
You address the topic and give a position: you support legal action when people do not respond to government guidance, while concluding that rules alone are not effective. However, the extent of your view is not clearly explained, and the reasons are only briefly stated. The discussion of litter harming animals and spreading disease is relevant, but it does not directly explain how laws would increase household recycling; the proposed fines also need a clearer link to sorting and disposing of waste. The response contains 201 words, so it is 49 words below the required minimum; 18 words copied from the prompt were not counted. Develop your position with specific examples and explain the likely benefits or limits of legal requirements.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response has a recognisable essay shape, with an opening, two body paragraphs signalled by “To begin with” and “Moreover,” and a concluding paragraph beginning “Overall.” These markers help readers identify the stages of your answer. However, there is no clear progression from the problem of litter to the specific question of whether laws are needed to increase recycling. The second body paragraph repeats the idea of stricter government action without developing distinct points, and the conclusion introduces a preference for acting “sweetly” without explaining how this relates to the earlier argument. Use each paragraph for one developed idea, and connect examples and explanations with clearer references rather than relying mainly on basic transition words.
Lexical Resource: Band 4.5
You use some topic-related vocabulary, including “recycling,” “legal action,” “fine,” “environment,” and “animals,” so the main subject is generally clear. However, the range is limited and several expressions are imprecise or repetitive, such as “a lot of issue,” “heavy fine,” and “take government and their laws seriously.” Some word forms and spellings also reduce accuracy, including “literaly,” “shoud,” and “affects” where “effects” is intended. Aim for more precise language about household waste and enforcement, and check spelling and collocations carefully. For example, distinguish littering from failing to separate recyclable materials, since the essay needs vocabulary that directly addresses the task.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences with clauses, for example, “People are literally throwing waste on the streets and it causes harm to animals and environment.” This shows some ability to connect related ideas, and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, sentence structures are often faulty or run together, as in “There are a lot of issue are related with recycling,” and the long sentence beginning “If people are still not listening…” contains several ideas without clear boundaries. There are also recurring problems with articles, agreement, and punctuation, such as “make it legal requirement” and “Overall,i believe.” Practise building accurate sentences first, then use full stops and commas to separate explanations and conditions.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.