Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-04

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)

The usage of plastic products like bags, bottles and packaging has increased significantly in recent years. This essay will explain the impsct of plastic to the environment and discuss the possible sollutions.

One major problem is that, using plastic can crate significant waste as we use it for almost everything we buy or use, that often left and throwen unrecycled. Consequently, that dumped plastic whether it is in water or land does not react naturally and pollute our land and water. For example, studdies has proven that plastic can stay in soil and water for thousands of years without getting changed. Another issue is that, the polluted land and water not only impact humans but also damage animals and other speacies.

Severa measures can be taken to address these issues. Firstly, a complete ban on plastic usage should be implemented by the government. This would forces compnies and individuals to use the alternatives, such as cloath or paper bags instead of plastic ones. Secondly, providing encouragement and incentives for componies and individuals for recycling a plastic waste responsibly

As a result, It most of the already produced plastic would not be dumped into soil or water.

To conclude, plastic products cuases numerous problems to the environment, however, this can be reduced through strict regulations on the usage of plastic products and encoragement for using alternatives.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The essay addresses both parts of the prompt: the environmental damage caused by plastic and potential solutions. However, the response is significantly under the 250-word minimum requirement, which limits the depth of development. While the ideas are relevant, they are somewhat underdeveloped; for instance, the discussion on solutions lacks specific examples or a more detailed explanation of how incentives would function. The position is clear, but the brevity prevents a fully extended argument. To improve, you must expand on your points with more detailed explanations and concrete examples to meet the length requirement and provide a more comprehensive analysis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. There is a clear progression of ideas, moving from the problem to the solutions. Cohesive devices such as 'Consequently', 'For example', and 'Firstly' are used to link sentences and ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with sentence structure that occasionally affect the flow. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but the overall structure would benefit from more sophisticated linking words to improve the cohesion between the ideas presented in the body paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your ideas clearly. You use topic-specific terms like 'unrecycled', 'pollute', and 'regulations'. However, there are several spelling errors, such as 'impsct', 'sollutions', 'crate', 'throwen', 'studdies', 'speacies', 'severa', 'cloath', 'componies', and 'cuases'. These errors are frequent and occasionally distract the reader. To reach a higher band, you should focus on accuracy in spelling and attempt to incorporate a wider range of less common vocabulary, such as 'non-biodegradable' or 'mitigate', to demonstrate more flexibility and precision in your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'This would force companies and individuals to use the alternatives'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('studdies has proven', 'plastic products cuases') and incorrect verb forms ('that often left and throwen'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary commas used after introductory phrases (e.g., 'One major problem is that, using...'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and verb tense consistency will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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