Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

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

To begin with, plastic contains toxic chemicals, which are harmful for oceans, soil and atmosphere. All the plastic such as bottles, packing material are filled up in the oceans, due to that life of aquatic animals is in danger. 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 be 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 curious and this is only possible, if everyone 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 being including animals and birds.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the environmental damage caused by plastic and potential solutions from governments and individuals. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the mention of 'diseases like cancer' is a significant claim that lacks supporting evidence or explanation. Similarly, the solutions provided are general rather than specific or well-extended. While the position is clear, the essay would benefit from more detailed examples and a deeper exploration of the consequences and solutions to reach a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. There is a basic attempt at using cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Moving forward', and 'Thus'. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the use of referencing is occasionally imprecise (e.g., 'If it mix with soil'). The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the transition between the problem and the solution could be smoother to improve the overall coherence of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There is some repetition of basic terms like 'plastic', 'harmful', and 'use'. While the student attempts to use some topic-specific vocabulary ('aquatic animals', 'toxic chemicals', 'healthcare field'), there are errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'curious' used in the wrong context and 'on alarming rate' instead of 'at an alarming rate'. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise collocations and a wider range of academic vocabulary.

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 clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('government need to be', 'it mix with soil'), incorrect verb forms ('is polluting on alarming rate'), and awkward phrasing ('Until, the better alternative is not there'). While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. More attention to basic grammar rules and sentence construction is required.

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

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