Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

It is a well known fact that plastic packaging, plastic bottles and plastic bags are one of leading causes of land pollution. Many environmental organizations are working on the idea to create a plastic-free world. The hazards of plastic and its family of materials are dangerous not only for humans but also for wildlife.

The environment is an ecosystem nurtured by a balance between waste products and useful products. The materials utilizing plastic are turning around the balance negatively. It is a source of pollution as well as harmful chemicals in our atmosphere. When sunlight falls upon these plastic materials, it causes them to degrade and release certain chemicals which causes harmful effects like decreased soil productivity, water pollution and land pollution.

The governments should speed up their anti-plastic campaigns by strict rules and regulations. More recyclable materials should be used for packaging and encouragement should be provided to the organizations where plastic use is minimal. A ban on plastic bags and packaging material along with environment friendly alternatives should be provided by the government.

At an individual level all of us should refuse using plastic materials in any form. We should encourage are friends, family members and children to use environment friendly materials and give incentives to enhance the elimination of plastic materials.

I had a personal experience when I visited a famous grocery store. I found that people in the line of getting their bills were being provided with free bags made from cloth rather than plastic packaging. This was a very encouraging sight for people like me who are aware of the dangers of plastic to the environment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the environmental damage caused by plastic and the roles of governments and individuals. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the explanation of how plastic degrades and releases chemicals is scientifically vague, and the suggestions for government and individual action are quite general. To achieve a higher band, you should provide more specific examples or elaborate on the mechanisms of the damage and the effectiveness of the proposed solutions. The personal anecdote at the end is relevant but could be better integrated to support the argument rather than just serving as an observation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect of the prompt. There is a clear progression of ideas from the problem to the solutions. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. For example, the transition between the problem and the solutions could be smoother. Additionally, some referencing is slightly unclear, such as 'the materials utilizing plastic,' which is a bit awkward. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the flow and coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'ecosystem,' 'degrade,' and 'incentives.' However, there are some instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'encouragement should be provided to the organizations' and 'refuse using plastic.' These do not impede communication, but they highlight a need for more natural phrasing. To improve, focus on learning collocations (e.g., 'encourage people to use' rather than 'encourage... to use') and incorporating more sophisticated, topic-specific vocabulary to elevate the tone of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'are one of leading causes' (missing 'the'), 'encourage are friends' (should be 'our'), and 'refuse using' (should be 'refuse to use'). These errors are frequent but do not prevent the reader from understanding your points. To reach a higher band, you should aim for more error-free sentences and ensure greater accuracy in subject-verb agreement and the use of articles. Practicing complex sentence structures will also help demonstrate a wider grammatical range.

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