Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Environment is a vital part of human's life. There are certain products which affect the environment and plastic is one them. The more usage of plastic leads to the different environmental problems, such as climate change, negative effect on animal life, and more. In this essay, I am going to discuss the negative impact plastic has on the environment, and how it can be solved.

To start with, the prominent damage plastic has on the environment is climate change. To explain, nowadays people are using a lot of plastic products, and once they used it, they throw it anywhere. Also, sometimes people may light the fire to the plastic products instead of recycling it. This will create bubbles in air, and this may cause climate change. In addition, it would also create a problem for animals. To explain, it is frequently seen in recent times that animals eat plastic products. The main reason behind it is that people throw plastic bottles or bags anywhere, and usually animals do not have sense to differentiate what to eat and what not to. Therefore, they would eat whatever being thrown by people. It causes a lot of problems to animal life.

However, there are some initiative should be taken by the government and individuals to mitigate this problem. The first would be if not no then less use of plastic. To explain, people should try not to use plastic products in their life. Instead of, they should find the alternatives of plastic products. For instance, in place of plastic bags, people should use clothe bags. The second would be, the legal authorities should start some campaigns where they educate people about side effects of using plastic in their routine life. Also, the government should also fine people who may not recycle the plastic products, but throw it anywhere.

to wrap up, in order to protect the environment, and keep it healthy for the next generation to live in, everyone should step up and stop using the plastic.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying environmental damage and suggesting solutions for both governments and individuals. The ideas are relevant, though some explanations are slightly simplistic. For instance, the link between burning plastic and 'bubbles in air' is scientifically unclear and lacks precision. While the position is clear, the development of ideas could be more sophisticated to reach a higher band. The essay provides clear examples, such as the use of cloth bags, which helps support the arguments effectively. Overall, the task is fulfilled, but the depth of analysis remains at a moderate level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. The progression of ideas is generally easy to follow. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'To explain' and 'The first would be'. While referencing is generally clear, the transition between sentences could be smoother to improve the flow. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the essay has a clear introduction and conclusion, which helps maintain the overall structure of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate their ideas clearly. There are some attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'mitigate' and 'alternatives', which is positive. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'light the fire to the plastic products' instead of 'incinerate' or 'burn'. Some word choices are repetitive, and the student relies on basic descriptors. To improve, the student should focus on more precise collocations and a wider variety of academic vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'human's life' (humans' lives), 'the more usage' (greater usage), and 'animals do not have sense' (do not have the sense). Subject-verb agreement and article usage are inconsistent throughout the text. Despite these errors, they rarely impede communication. The student demonstrates an attempt at complex structures, but these are often marred by minor inaccuracies. Focusing on proofreading for basic errors would significantly improve the score.

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