Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-26
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)
There are some people in the world who claim that not enough of the waste from homes is recycled. They suggest that the only way to increase recycling is to impose legal requirement on waste by government. In my opinion, i am strongly agreed that there will some stricks rules impose on recycling materials discharged from homes by the government. In the following paragraph, i will explain why the waste material must be recycled and the government must need to impose legal laws on discharge materials.
On the one hand, there are some people who throw their garbage on roads and nearby areas which effects locally people to travel and for morning walk. When a person will go for a morning walk and when he saw garbage thrown in parks, garden, and many places where a person can go for a walk it can badly impact on the person. So if there are legal rules imposed by government not to throw garbage on any place then it will create awareness among people. Many people ignore if it is optional. So, if necessary the government should also fine who throw garbage. This fines can discouraged people to throw recycled waste in general rubbish.
On the other hand, recycling must be convenient. There should be a proper collecting service present in every corner of the country. And also recycled bin should be placed in public areas. Furthermore, there are more benefits of recycling. The epitome in that case is that there must be proper awareness about the material which should be recycled or not. For this purpose, education is an important factor. Another factor is environmental benefits. By recycling, we can save natural resources such as trees and metals and it also reduce the amount of rubbish goes to landfill.
So the conclusion of this topic is that, more materials can be recycled if government provide some necessary service for recycling. Recycling also benefit environment and natural resources. Proper education system is also necessary for creating awareness among people.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You give a clear general position that government rules are needed, and you include relevant reasons: penalties may discourage careless disposal, while collection services and education can support recycling. The environmental benefits, such as conserving trees and metals and reducing landfill waste, also address the topic. However, the response only partly develops the question of whether laws are needed: the discussion shifts toward general recycling services and awareness, without clearly weighing legal requirements against these alternatives. The example about litter affecting people on walks is relevant to waste disposal but does not directly show how a recycling law would increase household recycling. Develop this link and support your position with a specific example of a rule or its likely effect.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs signalled by “On the one hand” and “On the other hand,” and a conclusion. The ideas are generally grouped by topic, and linking expressions such as “Furthermore” and “For this purpose” help show relationships. However, progression is not always clear: the first body paragraph moves from litter in public places to fines for putting recyclable waste in general rubbish, and the connection between these points needs to be made explicit. The second paragraph also lists services, bins, education, and environmental benefits without developing a clear sequence. Use topic sentences that directly advance your argument and clearer references between claims and examples.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use enough topic vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “recycling,” “legal rules,” “natural resources,” and “landfill.” There are also attempts at more formal wording, such as “impose” and “environmental benefits.” However, several choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, which limits precision: “impose legal requirement on waste,” “stricks rules,” “recycled bin,” and “the epitome in that case” do not express the intended meanings clearly. Some repetition of “government,” “people,” and “recycling” also makes the vocabulary range seem limited. Choose standard topic phrases and check word forms and collocations; for example, refer to “strict regulations,” “recycling bins,” and “the main example.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including conditional structures such as “if there are legal rules imposed by government” and a relative clause in “who throw their garbage.” However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to follow. Examples include “i am strongly agreed,” “there will some stricks rules impose,” and “This fines can discouraged people,” where verb forms and agreement are not controlled. Other problems include “it also reduce” and “the amount of rubbish goes to landfill.” Capitalise “I,” use consistent verb forms, and check subject–verb agreement. Practise building accurate clauses before combining them into longer sentences.
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