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)

Protecting the environment is the responsibility of every citizen of the country. In the contemporary world, usage of plastic has become common such as bags, bottles, and packaging that has a detrimental impacts on the ecosystem. This is because they contain chemicals that may harm the surroundings and will also affect animals' well-being if they are absorbed by them. To eradicate this issue, the policymakers should enact laws to ban its usage and individuals should utilize alternative methods of carrying the items.

Analyzing the statement and explaining further, plastic usage causes numerous problems to both living and non-living creatures. First and foremost, when the people use them in their day-to-day life, they often put them into the trash and they will be dumped at a specific location or in water. Later on, the chemicals will be released if they are not taken care of instantly. That might have a negative impact on the atmosphere and even cause water pollution. Secondly, there will be a lot of animals roaming near these areas in search of food and when they consume it with the plastic bags, it will harm their digestive system and can impact their life. Therefore, in these ways, it causes massive destruction because of its harmful substances.

Probing ahead, the governments and citizens have their own responsibility in order to protect their environment. When it comes to the government, they must pass a law which is aimed at banning the plastic in all food items and drinks. They should levy penalties on whoever is not following them. Moreover, they should constitute a task force team and have them to make random inspections at the factories to curb its usage and people who disobey this should get their licenses revoked immediately. However, the people should not only be dependent on the legislation and must act accordingly by utilizing the paper bags to carry whatever they used to and should have a basket every time so that they can replace it with plastic bags. Hence, by these methods, the manufacturers will be forced to opt for paper packaging, glass materials to use in case of beverages, and people might get used to implementing different methods of managing their goods.

To recapitulate from the information aforementioned above, we can clearly indicate that materials involve plastic can pose a risk to the environment and living beings because of its dangerous chemicals and can pollute the water through their remains. Ultimately, these issues can be overcomed with the assistance of the government in proposing a law to restrict its use in everything that living organisms absorb, and with the help of people in commencing the usage of paper bags in their daily life purchases.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying environmental damage and proposing solutions for both governments and individuals. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed. For instance, the explanation of how plastic affects animal digestive systems is a clear, supported point. However, the development could be more sophisticated; some arguments, such as the suggestion to 'levy penalties' or 'use paper bags', are somewhat generic. To reach a higher band, you should aim to provide more nuanced examples or deeper analysis of the long-term implications of these policies. Overall, the position is clear throughout, and the response fulfills the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, such as the environmental impact in the second paragraph and solutions in the third. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'First and foremost', 'Moreover', and 'To recapitulate', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive. For example, the phrase 'Probing ahead' is an unusual choice for a transition. Additionally, some referencing is slightly awkward, such as 'materials involve plastic' in the conclusion. Improving the variety and natural flow of these linking words would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'detrimental impacts', 'eradicate', 'levy penalties', and 'revoked'. There are some instances of slightly unnatural word choice or minor errors, such as 'materials involve plastic' instead of 'materials involving plastic' or 'overcomed' instead of 'overcome'. While you attempt to use less common vocabulary, the precision is occasionally lacking. To improve, focus on collocations and ensuring that word forms are used correctly in context. The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate your ideas clearly, but it lacks the flexibility and precision required for a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as 'has a detrimental impacts' (subject-verb agreement), 'have them to make' (incorrect verb pattern), and 'whatever they used to' (vague phrasing). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. You show an ability to construct complex sentences, but the control over these structures is inconsistent. Focusing on subject-verb agreement, correct preposition usage, and refining verb patterns will help you achieve greater accuracy and move into a higher band.

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

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