Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-09

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)

In this contemporary era, the demand of plastic made materials has been significantly proliferating globally as it is cheaper to purchase. However, it is undeniable fact that it contaminates soil and water detrimentally. Therefore, the causes happened owing to polythene usage will be elucidated in ensuing paragraphs alongside feasible solutions to cope with this devastating problems.

To commence, the first and foremost is that the way it has been disposed anywhere on the surface. As a consequence, the soil fertility level has been deemed considerably hence that portion of soil can not produce any crops further. For example, since the surge in the plastic usage, several questions are raised by farmers to Indian Agriculture Department to mitigate the use of plastic in order to maintain irrigation system. Another impacted sector is food industry, the food containers are manufactured using plastic which leads weaken digestion of food in long run. Last but not least, it ultimately hikes the wastage on earth as this packages have not been utilised again.

On the other hand, each problem has always came with its measures. The major step governments can take to deal with is industries only allow to generate plastic materials which can be recycled. For instance, Japan, is the only country who never faces any negative effects even though highly used of plastic bottles, container, bags, and toys as they have best recycled process plants in their country. Secondly, campings should be run by schools and organisations to divert people from plastic to paper which create huge contribution to decrease the use of plastic.

In conclusion, one should be fostered to minimise the use of plastic due to bad effects on health and environment. Although,plastic materials should be completely replaced by recycled or paper made products.

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. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. The explanation of environmental damage, particularly the claim regarding 'weakened digestion' from food containers, lacks scientific clarity and feels underdeveloped. While the solutions provided (recycling and awareness campaigns) are relevant, the example of Japan is a bit simplistic. To reach a higher band, you should provide more nuanced explanations for your points and ensure that your examples directly support the arguments made. The position is clear, but the depth of analysis could be improved to fully satisfy the requirements of a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To commence', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' to signal shifts in the argument. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'the causes happened owing to polythene usage will be elucidated'. Additionally, some referencing is unclear, such as 'this packages' (plural/singular mismatch) and 'each problem has always came with its measures'. Improving the variety and natural flow of your linking words will help elevate your score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proliferating', 'detrimentally', and 'mitigate'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'demand of plastic made materials' (should be 'demand for plastic-based materials') and 'hikes the wastage' (should be 'increases waste'). Some phrasing is also non-idiomatic, such as 'the way it has been disposed anywhere'. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, you need to focus on more accurate collocations and natural phrasing to achieve a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'the causes happened owing to polythene usage will be elucidated' (incorrect passive construction), 'each problem has always came' (incorrect verb tense), and 'highly used of plastic' (incorrect word form). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor errors throughout. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of passive voice, as these are recurring issues in your writing.

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