Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-21

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)

Recyling is indeed a major issue nowadays and people like to put all the blame on governments and its policies. That is completely wrong. People should realize that recycling begins at home. The first thing that people need to do is make a list of things that can be recycled because more things can be recycled than we let on. Take a example of a plastic water bottle, It can be recycled in many differents ways but people just throw them in trash can and then blamed the government for lack of recyling policies. They can watch many videos about how they can reuse and recycle everyday household things like a plastic water bottles. People should realize they play a important role in the recycling process. For example I repurpose many of the bottles in my home for many different things. One time I made a cup holder from it and also a holder for my pens and pencils. I also took plastic and cut them in shapes so birds could drink from it. So, from these examples it should be clear that recycling begins at home.

Now, I am not saying that government has no role in the recylcing process. Many government policies can lead to a better enviroment. There is no law that should be forced on the people so they start recycling. Recycling should come from the awareness of the ones enviroment. People should realize that how their single wrong action could affect the enviroment. Take the example of Japan, they had the best recycling system in the world. But first come the people who totally cooperate with the Japan's government. They are the best at recycling because they invested in this project. So, our government should take the example of Japan and invest in this process. Our people would also have to give their all as they will be deciding whether this scheme proves successfull or not.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you argue that recycling should be encouraged through personal awareness and government investment rather than imposed by law. You address both household responsibility and the government’s role, using examples such as reusing bottles and Japan’s recycling system. These are relevant, but the response does not fully examine the question of whether laws are needed: it states that no law should be forced, without considering how legal requirements might help, or explaining the limits of voluntary action. The Japan example is also asserted rather than supported with specific detail. Develop both sides of the issue and explain more directly why your preferred approach would be effective.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: the first paragraph focuses on individual action, and the second turns to government involvement. Examples generally follow the points they are intended to support, and transitions such as “Now” and “For example” help guide the reader. However, the progression is sometimes repetitive: the idea that recycling begins at home is stated several times, while the relationship between awareness, government investment, and rejecting laws is not fully clarified. Some references are also imprecise, such as “they” in the Japan discussion, which could refer to the people or the government. Use clearer links between claims and examples, and organise the discussion around distinct reasons for and against legal requirements.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You communicate the main ideas using relevant topic vocabulary, including “recycling process,” “government policies,” “reuse,” and “awareness.” However, the range is limited and several words or phrases are repeated, particularly “people,” “recycling,” and “example.” Some choices are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “the ones environment,” “give their all,” and “proves successfull,” which make parts of the argument less precise. Spelling errors also occur in key terms, including “Recyling,” “recylcing,” and “enviroment.” Build a more varied set of expressions for waste management and legal measures, and check spelling and collocations carefully so your meaning is consistently clear.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple sentences and some longer structures, including clauses introduced by “because” and “so,” and the overall meaning remains understandable. However, there are some recurring errors in sentence construction, articles, agreement, and punctuation. For example, “Take a example” needs an article correction, while “people like to put all the blame on governments and its policies” has an agreement mismatch. The sentence beginning “There is no law that should be forced on the people so they start recycling” is awkwardly structured and does not clearly express the intended relationship. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, as in “It” after a comma. Practise accurate complex sentences and proofread for these patterns.

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