Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

It is believed that the household wastes are not fully recycled, so that governments should impose laws for recycling to encourage people. In my opinion, although laws can effectively make individuals to recycle their wastes, it is not the only solution in waste recycling

Admittedly, the government's regulations can make people recycle more of their household waste, which can be a ideal method in protecting environment. By imposing regulations related to domestic trash, people are forced to recycle their waste in some certain extent. Due to the nature of enforcement, individuals are afraid of harsh penalty and being financially punished. This can therefore reduce the potential offenders, which contributes to positive changes to society by recycling wastes. Moreover, passing recycling law can highlight the responsibility of each individual in managing and processing their wastes properly. As a result, people raise awareness of recycling wastes as they are much more responsiible

However, legal requirement is not a only way to encourage people to recycle, as some individuals can oppose against enforcement in negative responses. The enforcement sometimes can be counterproductive, some individuals can resist against waste regulations simply because of their preferences. In some particular cases, goverments do not give out justifiable reasons or particularly highlight the benefits of recycling, these individuals might think recycling is not their business and time-consuming. Therefore, government should subtly introduce laws with reasonable rationals, this can be conducted with the integration of volunteering programs relating to recycling. The introduction of recycling programs can specifically guide individuals how to recycle, making a clear point for them to fully comprehend its long-term advantages. Consequently, recycling wastes can be enhanced by helping individuals observe that they are making senses from minor to major contributions, they are changing the society positively rather than being forced to do

In conclusion, the government imposes law for recycling wastes can effectively influence how frequently people recycle their wastes. However, if there is no justifications or clear goals that encourage people, it would be counterproductive, so that the integration of other factors is equally essential

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: laws can increase recycling, but they are not the only solution. You address both the benefits of enforcement and the risk of resistance, then recommend combining regulation with voluntary programmes. The points about penalties and raising individual responsibility are relevant, as is the suggestion that guidance can help people understand recycling’s benefits. However, some ideas are asserted rather than fully explained. For example, the claim that people may oppose regulations because recycling is “not their business and time-consuming” would be stronger with a specific illustration or explanation of how education or incentives would change their behaviour. Develop the practical alternatives and support your reasoning with a concrete example to make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction states your view, two body paragraphs present contrasting considerations, and the conclusion restates your position. Linking expressions such as “Moreover,” “However,” and “Consequently” help signal the progression, and the contrast between enforcement and voluntary programmes is easy to follow. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent organisation and shows some flexibility in connecting ideas. At times, however, links feel mechanical or the relationship between sentences is unclear. For instance, “This can therefore reduce the potential offenders” does not clearly connect the penalty point to the intended outcome, and the final sentence of the second body paragraph runs several ideas together. Use clearer referencing and divide complex explanations into more focused sentences.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of topic vocabulary, including “household waste,” “regulations,” “enforcement,” “penalty,” and “volunteering programs.” These choices allow you to discuss both legal measures and public education, and some less common terms show an effort to express nuanced ideas. However, inaccurate word choice, collocation, word forms, and spelling are noticeable and sometimes make the meaning less natural. Examples include “a ideal method,” “potential offenders,” “reasonable rationals,” and “making senses.” “Responsiible” and “goverments” also contain spelling errors. Aim for more precise, natural combinations such as “impose penalties,” “provide sound reasons,” and “make a meaningful contribution.” Proofreading and checking collocations would improve clarity and control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including clauses introduced by “although,” “as,” and “because,” and you use these to express contrast and cause. The overall meaning is generally recoverable, but some grammatical errors recur and occasionally make relationships between ideas difficult to follow. For example, “the government's regulations can make people recycle” needs a more accurate construction, while “the government imposes law … can effectively influence” has an unclear subject and verb structure. Articles and plurals are also inconsistent in phrases such as “a only way” and “recycling law.” Some sentences join independent ideas with commas, particularly in the second body paragraph. Practise accurate clause construction, article use, and sentence boundaries while retaining your attempts at complex forms.

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