Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-05

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)

Nowadays, masses are of the opinion that their goverments should declare recycling a legal requirment, because not enough waste is being recycled.

To some extent I do agree with this demand, as there are steps that should be taken by people themselves to recycle their own waste and to make use of stuff that they put to waste.

On one hand, as the population is growing rapidly, the waste production has also increased. This increased waste production has started causing some major issues for locals as well as for the goverments. In this regard, I think we as people have a responsibility that we should be more cosiderate towards what we put to waste. As there are alot of things that can be either recycled or put to good use. For example, shopping bags can be used multiple times and people should store them somewhere instead of discarding them after a single use. As sometimes we want to carry stuff somewhere from our homes and we need plastic bags so we can use those stored bags to good use, rather then dumping them into landfill where they don't breakdown for hundreds of years. So the government should either declare the use of plastic bags illegal, and push the public to use paper or bags made of fabric. If a complete ban is not possible then atleast make it illegal to put those plastic bags to waste, rather create awareness campaigns to introduce the massess to the dangers of those bags.

On the other hand, even after passing the laws and imposing restrictions, there is a very little waste that can be recycled by people in their own homes. Not many people have access to recycling ficilities around their homes, so it makes the waste recycling difficult for public. In my opinion, goverments' should take the charge for recycling the waste, they should put multiple bins outside people's homes where they can sort their waste into plastic, food and glass so it makes easier for the waste recycling departments to take care of the waste. Governments should also incentivise the public for waste recycling. For example, Germany has introduced vending machines for empty soda cans and plastic bottles. Citizens can gather empty cans and bottles from their homes, neighbourhoods and parks and dispose them into those vending machines and in return they are paid €0.25 per bottle. Incentive schemes like these motivate more people towards waste recycling without making them feel like they are being forced to do it.

In conclusion, citizens should be made aware of waste recycling and they should be incentivised to do their duties, while on the other hand it should be mostly the responsibility of the governments to take care of the waste that is generate on a large scale. This is the only practical way to make sure our wastes are recycled correctly and effectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your position is clear: you support some public responsibility but argue that governments should provide the main recycling systems and incentives. You address the question with relevant examples, including reusing shopping bags and Germany’s bottle-return scheme. This gives the response a sound, task-focused basis. However, the discussion does not fully weigh when legal requirements are necessary: the suggestion to ban plastic bags or make discarding them illegal is not developed in terms of how such laws would work or why they are preferable to incentives. The point that households can recycle only a limited amount is also asserted rather than explained. Develop these contrasts more fully so each main idea directly supports your view on the need for laws.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, two main paragraphs presenting different considerations, and a conclusion that restates your position. The examples generally follow the points they illustrate, helping the reader understand your argument. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes loose: the first body paragraph moves from population growth to personal responsibility, bag reuse, a possible ban, and awareness campaigns without clearly showing how each step connects to the question of legal requirements. Linking phrases such as “On one hand” and “On the other hand” provide basic signposting, but some transitions feel mechanical, and “As there are…” is an incomplete sentence that interrupts the flow. Use clearer topic sentences and explicit links between claims, examples, and your overall position.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of topic vocabulary, including “recycling facilities,” “landfill,” “incentivise,” “restrictions,” and “dispose,” and the examples make your meaning clear. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “take the charge” and “introduce the masses to the dangers,” though these are not natural collocations. Several spelling errors—“goverments,” “requirment,” “cosiderate,” and “ficilities”—are noticeable, and phrases such as “put to waste” and “waste production” are repeated. These issues do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and control. Check spelling carefully, vary repeated terms with accurate alternatives, and learn common collocations for discussing policy and waste management.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional structures such as “If a complete ban is not possible…” and clauses explaining consequences. Most of the argument remains understandable, but some grammatical errors and punctuation problems reduce accuracy. For example, “As there are alot of things…” is a sentence fragment, while “the waste that is generate” needs a passive form (“is generated”). In “goverments’ should take the charge,” the possessive apostrophe is unnecessary, and the sentence structure is awkward. Long sentences in the first body paragraph also combine several ideas, making control less secure. Aim to complete every sentence, check verb forms and agreement, and divide sentences when they contain multiple claims.

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