Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-11

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)

There was a time when people would love to carry plastic bags during their grocery shopping, carrying plastic bottles during the picnic or travelling by bus or the train and food packaging was mainly contained in the plastic packaging. But after several research made by the scientists, it came to everyone's notice that it is damaging the environment in many ways Let's see the consequences faced by the world in coming essay and what measures government should provide to save the environment.

Firstly, let us understand the impacts of plastics on farming. It was observed by researchers that lifespan of plastic is nearly 500 years which means that essential nutrients required to grow crops were damaged and the fields became less fertile compared to earlier years. Environmentalists published several articles to stop the usage of plastic as the chemicals released by it is damaging the body parts and developing harmful diseases in humans as well. The best example is the revolution done by Sara ben in 1991, wherein she encouraged the people to use alternatives such as paper bags, drinking water from glass bottles and not use any food which is kept in plastic container for more than 24 hours. She also urged people not to dump wastes in plastic bags directly to small rivers, lakes to stop water pollution.

Government of every country have started taking initiatives by rewarding people by achieving small milestones. For example, In Indonesia if someone can share a daily routine video of not using plastic bags for atleast 15 days will be awarded with $100 gift card by the government. This encouragement forced individuals to change their habits from using plastic to find alternatives for their needs. Another example wherein on social media, people started with their 1 month resolution for not using plastics motivated others to remove plastic from their life completely.

Lastly, I would like to conclude that several measures and regulations have been my the government of the country but it depends on an individual whether to follow them or pay high fines for the mistakes to save the environment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the environmental damage caused by plastic and potential solutions. The ideas are relevant, though the development is somewhat uneven. The explanation of environmental damage focuses heavily on soil fertility and human health, which is a good start, but the link between plastic lifespan and soil nutrients could be more scientifically precise. The solutions provided, such as government incentives and social media campaigns, are practical and well-supported with examples. To reach a higher band, ensure that the connection between the problem and the proposed solution is more explicitly linked throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each with a clear focus. There is a progression of ideas from the introduction to the body paragraphs and the conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Firstly', 'For example', and 'Lastly', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or repetitive. Additionally, the referencing in the first paragraph is a bit abrupt, and the flow between the environmental impact and the government solutions could be smoother. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and the central ideas are easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'environmentalists', 'nutrients', and 'regulations'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'revolution done by Sara ben' (a revolution is usually 'led' or 'started') and 'measures have been my the government' (a clear typo). The range is sufficient for the task, but more precise or sophisticated vocabulary would be needed to reach a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses and articles, such as 'after several research made' (should be 'pieces of research') and 'Government of every country have started' (should be 'The government... has started'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some missing commas and run-on sentences. These errors do not typically impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage would significantly improve the accuracy of the writing.

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