Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-05

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)

Recently, there are many problems faced by our environment which plastic are one of them. Plastic containers,bags and plastic packaging are harmful to the environment. This essay will discuss the damages done by plastic and suggest what government and individuals can do to solve the problem.

One of the damages done by plastic to the environment is pollution. Plastic waste has done more bad than good to the ecosystem. Pollution occurs when there is improper disposal of the plastic. Some are being disposed close into the drainage system, there by causing blockage to the drainage preventing out of water leading to flooding. These plastic thrown into the drainage are been wash down into the river by rain, thereby polluting the water. For instance, people living close to the sea no longer use the water from there because of how contaminated it has become.

Another damage done by plastic to the environment is it causes harm to the wildlife. When some of those plastic are washed into the sea. The wildlife usually mistake it to be food and when being eaten, it causes chocking to the sea animals. These has killed many wildlife and it also minimize the amount of oxygen gotten by the sea animals. For example, there has been decrease in sea food because of how polluted the water has become lately which is caused by the floating plastic waste in the river.

There are ways to solve this problems, governments and individuals has a big role to place. Firstly, individuals should learn to purchase other reusable products for packaging and storage because they are ecofriendly. It can help to manage the amount of plastics used.

On the other hand, governments should pass a law to the public on proper waste management. It will help to improve on o how well waste is disposed.

In conclusion, improper plastic management have done more harm than good the society and wildlife and the authorities and the public have a major role to play in solving it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

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 points, such as the government's role, are somewhat underdeveloped and could benefit from more specific examples or deeper explanation. The position is clear throughout the essay. To reach a higher band, ensure that the solutions proposed are more detailed and directly linked to the specific environmental problems mentioned earlier in the text.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each with a clear focus. There is a basic progression of ideas from the problem to the solution. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as the repetitive use of 'thereby' and 'there has been'. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the transition between sentences could be smoother to improve the overall flow. Referencing is generally clear, but some sentences feel slightly disjointed due to limited variety in linking words.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at topic-specific vocabulary, such as 'ecosystem', 'contaminated', and 'reusable products'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and minor errors, such as 'chocking' instead of 'choking' and 'minimize the amount of oxygen gotten' which sounds unnatural. The range is sufficient to communicate, but lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. Expanding the range of collocations would significantly improve the quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('plastic are one of them', 'governments and individuals has a big role') and incorrect verb forms ('been wash down'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some awkward phrasings that affect the clarity of the message. While the meaning is always understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band score.

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

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