Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-07-25

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Plastic bags, plastic bottles and plastic packaging are bad for the environment.

What damage does plastic do to the environment?

What can be done by governments and individuals to solve this problem?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

Student answer (Band 7.0)

Plastic bottles, bags and packaging are bad for the surrounding.

Plastics are one of the major causes of some environmental hazards in the world today. Many countries have experienced flood as a result of plastic wastes dumped in drainages. This is a major problem in the world today as many lives and properties have been lost. The destruction that these wastes cause every year has brought about reduction in the economy as a lot of businesses are forced to shutdown due to flood. Some other places experience plastics in the beaches which has polluted the Oceans and lead to death of aquatic animals. Many of these beaches that have been polluted used to be good tourist attractions that helped boost the economy, but in recent times people have stopped visiting because of the excess plastics on the beach.

Government should try enforce laws that would penalize anyone caught trashing plastic wastes in unauthorized sites. This would force people to act rightly by disposing properly. An awareness campaign can also be done to teach people the right way to dispose their plastic wastes. The people should also be educated on the hazards these plastics can cause in the society. The Government should also look into recycling of these plastics to produce other useful materials. Government agencies that are responsible for disposing wastes in the environment should be adequately supervised to ensure they are doing their Jobs efficienciently.

In conclusion, plastic products have damaged the society by causing flooding and reduction in economic development. This problem can be solved by creating more awareness campaign and recycling.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying environmental damage (flooding, marine pollution) and suggesting solutions (legislation, education, recycling). The ideas are relevant, though some development is limited. For instance, the link between plastic waste and economic reduction is mentioned but could be supported with more specific detail. The position is clear throughout, and the response maintains a consistent focus on the topic. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully extended with more nuanced examples or deeper analysis of the cause-and-effect relationships.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. There is a clear progression of ideas from the problem to the solutions. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'This is a major problem', 'Some other places', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the use of referencing could be more varied to improve the flow. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the overall structure supports the development of the argument effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'aquatic animals' and 'tourist attractions'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'bad for the surrounding' (should be 'environment') and 'trashing plastic wastes' (should be 'disposing of'). Spelling errors like 'efficienciently' also occur. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring accurate spelling of key terms related to the environment.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, such as 'Government should try enforce' (should be 'try to enforce'), 'experienced flood' (should be 'experienced flooding'), and 'lead to death' (should be 'leads to the death'). Subject-verb agreement and article usage are inconsistent. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the variety of complex structures while ensuring greater accuracy in basic grammar would be beneficial.

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