Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-03

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 5.5)

Day by day, the environment get polluted and damage. Plastic bags, plastic bottles, and plastic packaging is harmful for the environment. This essay will discuss the problems of plastic use and give some solutions to reduce this in forthcoming paragraphs.

The first and foremost issue is that it polluted environment. The second major problem is many animals killed by consuming that plastic bags. Many people do not use dustbins or garbage bags to put their waste into that they just throw anywhere which pollutes the surroundings as well as fauna like dogs , cows, marine animals like turtles consume plastic and get killed by that. For instance, a research shows population of animals is reduced by 15% because this consumption also, this cause new disease which affect animals specially cows. Many cows in India killed because of environment changes and with new diseases.

To reducing this obstacle government have to take major actions like put some fines who destroy the cleanliness of surroundings. And ban the use of plastic bags, like use their alternative paper bags. For reduction of use platic bottle stopping making new bottles; reuse or recycle those bottles. For example, there is a village in northeast India which use bamboo and wood for their daily life chaos. And that village most clean and free from plastic. To conclude, I would like to say that government have to this action as soon as possible because this problem is raising and this is major concern for the atmosphere. It is not only government responsibility for the environment its our moral duty to make surrounding better.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying environmental damage caused by plastic and suggesting solutions for both governments and individuals. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention animal harm and pollution, the explanations are brief and rely on general statements rather than deep analysis. For instance, the example regarding the village in India is a good start, but it lacks detail on how the transition to bamboo was implemented. To improve, aim to expand your supporting points with more specific evidence or logical reasoning to ensure the response feels fully developed rather than just a list of points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the flow between ideas is often mechanical. You rely on simple transition words like 'The first and foremost' and 'The second major problem', which can feel repetitive. Additionally, some sentences are disjointed, such as 'Many people do not use dustbins or garbage bags to put their waste into that they just throw anywhere'. Using a wider variety of cohesive devices, such as 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'in light of this', would help create a smoother progression of ideas between sentences and paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. You use basic terms like 'bad', 'harmful', and 'major'. There are also some awkward collocations and word choice errors, such as 'daily life chaos' and 'destroy the cleanliness'. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to environmental science, such as 'non-biodegradable', 'ecosystem', 'sustainable alternatives', or 'waste management'. Focusing on synonyms and more academic phrasing will significantly enhance the quality of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('the environment get polluted', 'many animals killed'), article usage, and sentence structure ('To reducing this obstacle government have to take...'). While you attempt some complex structures, they are often inaccurate. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, specifically ensuring that your verbs agree with your subjects and that your prepositions are used correctly. Proofreading for these fundamental errors will help you achieve a more professional and accurate tone.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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