Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-06

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 6.5)

-++It is widely accepted that plastic in any form such as bags, bottles and packaging is detrimental for the environment. Since it is problematic to the ecosystem because it does not biodegrade easily, authorities and public can significantly reduce this issue by implementing strict guidelines and raising awareness.

To commence with, the damage plastic does to the fragile ecosystem is far beyond imagination. Not only does it takes centuries for the plastic to dissolve which results in landfill and ocean clutter, it releases harmful chemicals and microplastics into ecosystem which are considered carcinogenic. Consequently, it contaminates the food chain and disrupts our flora and fauna by putting them in a formidable situation. To exemplify, the plastic bottles thrown in the sea takes over 400 years before breaking down and once the breakdown starts it releases dangerous chemicals which afflicts the marine life.

The plausible solutions to mitigate this problem need collaborative efforts from the government and the individuals. The authorities should establish a complete ban on the use of plastic and penalize the firms that do not comply with the guidelines. Furthermore, people need to understand the harm plastic creates in terms of environmental damage. Both state and organizations such as schools should create awareness among the public so that individuals are motivated to totally discontinue plastic use.

In conclusion, although the significant damage plastic use has done in the past can not be reversed, at least we can prevent further environmental damage if authorities impose strict laws and individuals use plastic in a responsible way.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying environmental damage and proposing solutions for both governments and individuals. The ideas are relevant and clearly presented. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited; for instance, the explanation of how plastic affects the food chain is brief, and the solutions, while logical, could benefit from more specific examples or deeper analysis to reach a higher band. The position is clear throughout the essay, and the conclusion effectively summarizes the main points. To improve, ensure that each body paragraph provides more depth and specific evidence to fully explore the implications of the points raised.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'Consequently', and 'Furthermore' are used effectively to link sentences and ideas. However, the transition between the environmental damage and the solutions could be smoother. Additionally, some referencing is slightly repetitive, and the use of cohesive devices is occasionally mechanical. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate, and the information is presented in a coherent manner that supports the reader's understanding.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate and appropriate for the task. You have used some topic-specific terms like 'biodegrade', 'carcinogenic', and 'mitigate', which demonstrate a good range. There are some minor collocation issues, such as 'afflicts the marine life' (should be 'affects' or 'harms') and 'formidable situation' (which is not the most natural choice here). While the range is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, incorporating more precise academic collocations and avoiding slightly awkward phrasing would help elevate the score. The spelling is accurate throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You have successfully used relative clauses and conditional structures. However, there are several grammatical errors that persist. For example, 'it takes centuries for the plastic to dissolve' should be 'it takes centuries for plastic to dissolve' (article error), and 'it releases harmful chemicals... into ecosystem' requires an article ('the ecosystem'). Additionally, 'the plastic bottles... takes' is a subject-verb agreement error. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will improve your accuracy.

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

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