Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-07-30

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)

Increase use of plastic products are damaging environment in worst way possible. There are multiple harms that has been created by plastic bags, plastic bottles, and plastic packaging. This essay will describe the harmful effect and some possible ways that government and individual both take to tackle the issue.

Environment is damaging severely by vast use of plastic. The major impact the nature face is microplastic contamination. The waste plastic items down into the smaller pieces, from which the tiny ones are inhaled by many humans. Some particles are remain in the soil or land, which contaminates ecosystem. Food may be product on this land and it can be consume by animals as well as individuals. To cite an example, in a recent survey of Europe, about health, 82% of residents suffered from coughing due to inhalation of microplastic coming from air pollution.

This situation is the direct result of several factors, but many approaches can be adapted by both authorities and inhabitants to address the issue. Policymakers can establish more strict policy on banning plastic products like bags and bottles. There should be replacement offered at stores for paper bags and cloth bags. People can adapt their lifestyles by choosing metal or glass bottles even they can spread awareness by organizing a campaign to alert others.

By way of conclusion, air, water, and soil pollution created by plastic to the environment can be reversed to some extent by introducing the new laws by government and spreading awareness in public.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The essay addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying environmental damage and suggesting solutions for both governments and individuals. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of microplastic contamination is a good start, but the example provided—citing a survey about 82% of residents suffering from coughing—is not clearly linked to the broader environmental impact of plastic in a way that demonstrates deep understanding. The solutions offered are relevant but could be expanded with more specific detail or reasoning to reach a higher band. The position is clear throughout, but the depth of analysis remains at a functional level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. There is a progression of ideas from the problem to the solutions. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'This situation is the direct result of several factors' or 'By way of conclusion'. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the transition between sentences could be smoother to improve the flow. Referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure relies on simple linking phrases rather than a more sophisticated range of cohesive devices.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to communicate their ideas clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'microplastic contamination', 'ecosystem', and 'policymakers'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and minor collocation errors, such as 'Increase use of plastic products are damaging environment in worst way possible' (should be 'The increased use...') and 'Food may be product on this land' (should be 'produced'). The range is sufficient for the task but lacks the flexibility and precision required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that, while they do not impede communication, are noticeable. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('There are multiple harms that has been created', 'Some particles are remain') and article usage errors ('Environment is damaging severely', 'in a recent survey of Europe'). The control over complex structures is inconsistent, and punctuation is generally functional but basic. To improve, the student should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of passive voice constructions.

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