Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-01

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 7.0)

It is true that plastic products such as bags, bottles, and packaging cause severe harm to the environment. Plastic pollution harms wildlife, pollutes land and oceans, and cause climate change. This problem can be solve through stricter government rules and by encouraging individuals to reduce their use of single-use plastic products.

Analysing the issues, the foremost one is this can harmful for wildlife and marine ecosystems. Large amounts of plastic waste end up in rivers and oceans, where animals can have plastic products as a food. As a result, the ratio of death significantly increase. For example, a recent environmental study conducted by zoologist, many sea animals and seabirds have plastic waste in their stomachs, which can prevent them from digesting food properly and may lead to death. In addition, plastic is non-biodegradable and break down into tiny particles called microplastics . It remains in the environment for hundreds of years, contaminating soil and water. This harmful particles may enter the food chain, affects both humans and animals.

To address this problem, both governments and individuals need to take action. Governments should introduce strict regulations to limit the use of plastic and promote eco-friendly alternatives such as reuseable products. For instance, Canadian goverment charge a fee for plastic shopping bags or single-use plastic products. As a result, individuals' may be encouraged by using reusable bags instead of purchasing plastic items. Additionally, individuals can also have to take responsibilities to reduce plastic waste by avoiding products with plastic. Simple actions like carrying cloth bag and reuseable water bottle can make a huge difference.

In conclusion, plastic pollution is a serious condition for both the environment and human health. Not only government but each and every single person have to be involved to resolve and minimise the plastic goods in our daily routine activit

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all parts of the prompt, identifying environmental damage and suggesting solutions for both governments and individuals. Your position is clear throughout the essay. The ideas are relevant, though some development is slightly limited; for example, the explanation of how microplastics enter the food chain could be more detailed. You provide relevant examples, such as the Canadian government's plastic bag fee, which strengthens your argument. To reach a higher band, ensure that all points are fully extended with more nuanced analysis rather than just stating the facts.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'As a result', and 'To address this problem' to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as 'the foremost one is this can harmful', where the pronoun reference is unclear. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the issues from the solutions, which helps the overall flow of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'non-biodegradable', 'microplastics', and 'ecosystems'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'the ratio of death significantly increase' (should be 'mortality rates') and 'each and every single person have to be involved' (slightly informal). While you attempt to use less common vocabulary, the occasional errors in word form and collocation prevent a higher score. Expanding your range of topic-specific collocations would improve your lexical precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you successfully convey your meaning, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('this can harmful', 'individuals' may be encouraged', 'each and every single person have to be involved') and article usage. Some sentences are also incomplete or contain minor punctuation errors, such as the trailing sentence in the conclusion. These errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher band score. Focus on proofreading for basic agreement and verb forms.

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