Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-07-26

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 6.5)

It is an undeniable fact that plastic wastage is increasing day by day and is very harmful to the environment. There are some environmental damages caused by the use of plastic. The government and as an individual should take some action to resolve the problem. Although, I will give some reasons to support my answer in the following paragraphs.

Firstly, plastic is a non-biodegradable item, which can not degrade over time. As a result, it can cause soil pollution. For example, research has found that 1000 tonnes of plastic bottles that people have throne to beachs of India in last decade and still those waste has not been collected by any aurthority or individuals. Secondly, These plastic items sometimes eaten by animals and they suffer a health issue. For instance, the Times of India team has collected a report which has been proved that 20% of cattle in India die because they unexpectedly eat plastic material which throne on land.

The government and society should take strict actions to save the land and other living being. The government should bring strict rules against the people who produce or sell the plastic material. In addition, government should ban the use of plastic and there should be a big fine of using plastic. As an individuals, they should follow the rules and guidelines to reduce the waste of plastics. Furthermore, they should buy the plastic which is recycleable and change the habit of throwing garbage on land. They can also support by using products made of natural materials like sand and glass.

To conclude, it is clear that plastic damages our environment which may disturb the ecosystem. Some suggested steps should be implemented to protect the surrounding life and nature.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying environmental damage and suggesting solutions for both governments and individuals. The ideas are relevant, though the development is somewhat basic. For instance, the discussion on cattle eating plastic is a good example, but the explanation of government solutions is a bit repetitive. The position is clear throughout, and the essay maintains a consistent focus on the topic. To reach a higher band, you should aim to expand on your points with more depth and nuance, perhaps by discussing the long-term economic or systemic implications of plastic pollution rather than just listing general actions.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'In addition', and 'To conclude' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel mechanical, and there are occasional issues with referencing, such as the phrase 'The government and as an individual', which lacks grammatical flow. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the connection between sentences could be smoother to improve the overall flow of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'non-biodegradable', 'ecosystem', and 'recyclable'. However, there are several errors in word choice and form, such as 'throne' instead of 'thrown', 'aurthority' (spelling), and 'waste of plastics' instead of 'plastic waste'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your writing. To improve, focus on learning the correct collocations and ensuring you use the appropriate word forms in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses and subject-verb agreement, such as 'those waste has not been collected' and 'which has been proved that 20% of cattle... die'. Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor errors throughout. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic grammatical consistency, specifically ensuring that plural nouns match their verbs and that passive voice constructions are formed correctly.

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