Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-07-28

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)

In the contemporary world, the excessive usage of plastic is ubiquitous which leads to detrimental impact in the eco-system. Although there are numerous ways in which plastic damages the environment, the collective efforts of the government and society could mitigate the issue and this essay will discuss both.

One compelling reason is that plastic items are taken number of years to decompose. It is not only degrade the fertilize soil but also leads air pollution which it's chemical particles are extremely harmful for human. For instance, people use countless amount of plastic goods such as bags, bottle and packaging on daily basis leading immense waste release in water, soil and in air as particle if burn. Consequently, it's undecomposed nature results in adverse impact on eco-system and individuals. Additionally, plastic is harmful for animals and birds as it blocks their internal organs, when they consume it with other eatable things. For example, sometimes street dogs eat thrown food in plastic bags in waste, resulting malfunctioning of their lungs which leads their death. Thus, plastic has an adverse impact on the environment.

However, the damage of plastic can be controlled by taking the various actions by the people who are in power and individuals. The prominent way is to reduce the usage of plastic. industries and society should use various alternative such as paper bags and cardboard bags. Despite using plastic, people should

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The essay addresses both parts of the prompt, identifying environmental damage and suggesting solutions. However, the response is incomplete, ending abruptly mid-sentence, which prevents a full development of the second part of the task. Furthermore, the word count is below the 250-word minimum, which significantly impacts the depth of the arguments. While the ideas presented are relevant, the lack of a conclusion and the unfinished nature of the final paragraph mean that the task is only partially addressed. To improve, ensure all parts of the prompt are fully developed and that the essay reaches the required length.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay uses basic cohesive devices such as 'Consequently', 'Additionally', and 'For instance' to link ideas. Paragraphing is attempted, but the abrupt ending disrupts the logical flow of the text. The progression of ideas is generally clear in the first two paragraphs, but the lack of a concluding paragraph makes the overall structure feel incomplete. To achieve a higher band, focus on using a wider range of cohesive devices more naturally and ensure that each paragraph is fully developed with a clear introduction, supporting evidence, and a concluding thought.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, though there are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'taken number of years' instead of 'take a number of years' and 'fertilize soil' instead of 'fertile soil'. Some collocations are also imprecise, such as 'immense waste release'. While the student attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'decompose' and 'mitigate', the overall range is somewhat limited. Improving precision and focusing on correct word forms will help elevate the score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'it is not only degrade' (incorrect verb form), 'which it's chemical particles' (incorrect pronoun usage), and 'leading immense waste release' (missing preposition). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence structure often feels repetitive. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of relative clauses. Reducing the frequency of these errors will allow for a more fluent and accurate expression of ideas.

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