Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-07-27

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 6.0)

Plastic usage is very harmful for the environment. Major negative effects of plastic and what remedies government can take to solve this issue is discussed in the following paragraphs.

Plastic products or packaging damage environment or biodiversity in a plethora of ways.

Firstly, plastic is a non-renewable resource this means that once the plastic is made it takes hundreds of years for it to be renewed. Since plastic is made up from mixture of oil and gasses, this process warms up earth. Secondly, plastic breaks down into pieces called microplastics which by mistake animals eats from trash which later on becomes cancer in their stomach. Lastly, dumping of plastic into soil and rivers does poison both and effect animals and humans. Thus, plastic products are very harmful for ecosystem.

Governments and humans both can overcome this problem if they take these major steps.

Firstly, Government can ban industries to produce plastic which adversely effects the environment. Secondly, Individuals can look for using alternatives instead of plastic such as bags made up from clothes or other environmentally friendly bags instead of plastic bags. Thirdly, government can introduce fines on the store which sell plastic materials which can be easily replaced by other environmentally friendly alternatives. Thus, these steps can alleviate the issue.

In conclusion, usage plastic adversely effects eco system in unimaginable ways. Both government and individuals can avoid these effects by banning plastic usage on industrial level as well as avoiding it at human level.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the environmental damage caused by plastic and potential solutions. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and repetitive. For example, the explanation of microplastics is brief, and the solutions provided (banning plastic, using cloth bags) are quite generic. Furthermore, the response is slightly under the 250-word minimum requirement, which impacts the overall depth of the argument. To improve, you should expand on your points with more specific examples or detailed explanations of how the proposed solutions would function in a real-world context.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'In conclusion' to signal your points. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'this means that once the plastic is made it takes hundreds of years for it to be renewed'. Improving the variety of your linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to their antecedents would enhance the logical progression of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on simple descriptors like 'very harmful' and 'bad', and there are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'renewed' instead of 'decomposed' or 'biodegraded'. Additionally, there are minor errors in collocation, such as 'effect animals' (should be 'affect'). To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more sophisticated, topic-specific vocabulary related to environmental science and policy-making.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'animals eats') and incorrect word forms (e.g., 'effects' used instead of 'affects'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like pluralisation and verb tense consistency. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy will help you reach a higher band.

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