Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Our environment is polluting day by day and the main reason behind that is plastic. This essay is not only explain, how plastic damage the earth but also provide various way to protect it and why it is important to stop using it where ever possible.

To begin with, plastic contain toxic chemicals, which are harmful for oceans, soil and atmosphere. All the plastic such as bottles, packing material fill up the oceans with it due to that aquatic animals are on alarming rate. Some species are endangered. If it mix with soil, it makes water and crops polluted. This is the main cause of rapid increase of diseases like cancer.

Moving forward, government need to fully ban the plastic and find alternatives. Production of plastic water bottles and bags required to be stop. it should be only used for essential items. For example, In the healthcare field, plastic gloves are used on high rate, which is necessary. Until the better alternative is not there, we have to use that. However, plastic grocery bags and bottles can be replaceable. Thus, people need to be aware of toxic chemical are dangerous for environment and need to stop using it, where ever possible.

At the end, saving our planet is very curious and this is only possible if every is aware of harmful effects of plastic. All the steps should be taken by government and citizens to remove it, because it is harmful for all living creators such as animals and birds.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

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 discussion on how plastic affects the soil and causes diseases is brief and lacks specific evidence or depth. While the position is clear, the arguments could be extended with more detailed examples or logical consequences to reach a higher band. The response meets the minimum length requirement, but the overall depth of analysis remains at a basic level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. There is an attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Moving forward', and 'At the end'. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as 'At the end' instead of 'In conclusion'. Additionally, referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the phrase 'due to that aquatic animals are on alarming rate', which lacks a clear antecedent. The logical flow is generally maintained, but the connection between sentences could be smoother.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'our environment is polluting day by day' (should be 'becoming polluted') and 'on alarming rate' (should be 'at an alarming rate'). The student relies on basic vocabulary and struggles with more sophisticated terms. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of variety and occasional inaccuracies in word choice limit the score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('plastic contain', 'government need'), missing articles ('in the healthcare field'), and awkward phrasing ('if it mix with soil'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the student attempts complex sentences, these are often marred by errors. To improve, the student should focus on basic grammatical accuracy, particularly verb tenses and pluralisation.

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

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