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 these days environment is dealing with numerous problems related to pollution. Plastic bags, bottles and packaging of products with plastic are impacting environment in a bad way. In the next paragraphs, i will present the situation which will describe the damage damage due to plastic and later on i will suggest some solution that people and government should do make the environment safe and clean.

Firstly, people are using the plastic products such as water bottles and bags to carry the products from shops and for daily works, later they have been throwing in the landfills which reduce the fertility of soil and on the side of roads. The big amount of polythene and bottles on one place becoming a reason of bad smell, which has creates number of diseases such as asthma, cough and so on. Secondly, it becomes a big reason for accident in the windy weather, when bags and bottles started flying on roads. Lastly, it has slowed down the recycling process. Thus, factories need to make more plastic everyday.

The government and people should take some steps to tackle with situation before it will become a big issue for living. Governments should keep all the different type of dustbins for paper, plastic and food waste on public places such as parks and bus stops. Moreover, they should aware people about recycling process by organizing the events on regular basis. Individuals also should avoid leaving the plastic empty bottles anywhere and replace the plastic bags with clothes ones. These things can make the environment beautiful and safe for living.

In conclusion, throwing plastic waste creates plethora of problems for heathy lifestyle and environment that's why individuals and governments should work together by using the recycling process.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying environmental damage and suggesting solutions for both governments and individuals. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, the explanation of how plastic causes diseases is vague, and the suggestion to 'organize events' is a bit generic. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific examples or elaborate on the mechanisms of the solutions proposed. The position is clear throughout, but the depth of analysis remains at a surface level, which is characteristic of a Band 6.0 performance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Lastly', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and some transitions feel repetitive. Referencing is generally clear, but there are instances where the connection between ideas could be smoother. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but the overall progression of ideas could be more sophisticated to achieve a higher score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your message clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'landfills', 'recycling process', and 'polythene'. However, there is a lack of variety and precision. Phrases like 'bad way', 'big amount', and 'big reason' are repetitive and simplistic. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'aware people' (should be 'raise awareness among people') and 'heathy lifestyle' (likely a typo for 'healthy'). Expanding your range of collocations would significantly improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'In these days environment is dealing' (missing articles), 'has creates' (incorrect verb tense), and 'tackle with situation' (incorrect preposition). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

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