Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-03

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)

Waste management is an issue which needs special attention from people and governments. Some people are of the opinion that households do not recycle enough waste and it is responsibility of the government to make proper laws for this. I totally agree with this.

As population is growing , the needs and necessities of the world are increasing. Industrialization is blooming and so are the waste materials. These waste materials are hazardous not only for human beings but for the whole living organisms from birds in the sky to marine animals. To cope with this, concept of recycling produced waste is introduced. Some people care about this recycling process and they consider this as an ethical responsibility. Governments from different countries also provide incentives for recycling materials, but the outcome is not that much satisfactory.

People now felt that gap and they want their government should take some necessary steps. They should make such laws which is directly linked to this problem. For instance, they can take steps to make it compulsory for individuals to properly manage their waste. This could be done even by punish and reward system . Being a government school teacher, I implemented this in my school with the help of a home economics teachers. Children learned a lot of recycle able stuff could be used for many purposes. They are making bins, baskets, decoration pieces and so on . This was was going to the waste bins before we took this initiative. Rules were made and those who litter gets punishment and fine and those who follow the rules. Same could be done on larger scales like in cities, provinces and countries . UAE and some countries are already doing this .

So, despite all these facts that production is increased, population is huge but we also need to save our planet. We need rules and regulations for recycling of waste, otherwise it will ruin the whole system.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear from the introduction (“I totally agree”) and conclusion: you believe rules are needed to increase recycling. You address the question with relevant reasons, including the environmental harm caused by waste and the limited results of voluntary incentives. The school example is particularly useful because it shows how rules and consequences can change behaviour, and you connect this to wider implementation. This meets the task well, with some elements already showing the development expected at a stronger level. However, the explanation of why existing incentives are unsatisfactory is brief, and the claim that laws are the only effective way is not examined against alternatives such as education or better collection services. Develop these points and explain how enforcement would work to make your argument more fully supported.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, paragraphs explaining the problem and proposed action, a personal example, and a concluding position. The school experience gives the central argument a logical illustration, and phrases such as “For instance” and “So” help signal relationships between ideas. Overall, the reader can follow your line of thought. At times, however, progression is weakened by abrupt or unclear links. “People now felt that gap” does not clearly identify what gap you mean, while the shift from incentives to government action could be explained more explicitly. The long paragraph about school rules combines several points, and the final paragraph largely repeats the conclusion. Use clearer referencing, divide the example from the wider policy discussion, and make each paragraph advance one distinct step in the argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “waste management,” “hazardous,” “recycling process,” “incentives,” and “compulsory.” These choices make the subject clear, and the examples of “bins, baskets, decoration pieces” add specific detail. You also attempt more formal expressions such as “ethical responsibility” and “rules and regulations.” Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, though, which limits precision: “industrialization is blooming,” “the outcome is not that much satisfactory,” and “recycle able stuff” do not sound natural in this context. There are also spelling and form issues, including “recycle able” and “home economics teachers.” Aim for more conventional collocations and check compound words and word forms so your vocabulary sounds more controlled and precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including a conditional construction (“This could be done…”) and a relative clause (“laws which is directly linked…”). The meaning is generally understandable, and the response includes some effective sentence variety. However, errors in agreement, tense, articles, and sentence construction recur. For example, “laws which is” should have plural agreement, and “People now felt” shifts into an unsuitable past tense. The sentence beginning “They should make such laws” continues with “They can take steps,” leaving the relationship between the ideas somewhat loose. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with spaces before full stops and a repeated “was.” Work on subject–verb agreement, consistent tense, and complete, clearly connected clauses; careful proofreading would improve accuracy while preserving your attempts at complex structures.

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.