Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-12

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 my opinion this is a cost effective world where everyone is running behind saving the money. All the companies or institutions they all are dependant on plastic based things as those can be produced under low budget but no one wants to know what harm they are giving to the environment. Global warming has increased to almost 13% compared to last year, according to WHO.

As we all know plastic is non-biodegradable waste which stays on surface for almost 20 years. Plastic waste are something that doesn't dissolve easily and as its not degrading plastic give born to many life harming insects. For example, Soil fertility is decreased to 73% which was 81% last year. Now, this decrease compromises in quality and quantity of crops we are growing. This decrease is affecting the farmers economically and well-being of consumers. Not only from farmers or consumers point of view but if we see from the individual eye AQI (Air Quality Index) has increased to 54% from 47% compared to last year which is affected all the age groups health.

To resolve the issue of the plastic causing damage to environment government need to take strict actions against it such as, advice all the companies to use recyclable products or the products made with paper or cloth which is biodegradable. Individual themselves should stop using the bags or anything that is made with plastic. Governments should apply hard penalty on the individuals throwing the plastic waste here and there and also keep some dustbins at appropriate distance and waste in bins should collected at proper time interval and dispose it at proper place.

In conclusion, I want to say that disadvantages of using plastic outweigh the advantages so to resolve this government and individuals both need to take the required steps together.

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 superficial. The statistics provided (e.g., '13% increase in global warming') appear invented and lack a logical basis, which weakens the argument. While the position is clear, the supporting points regarding soil fertility and AQI are presented as absolute facts without sufficient explanation of the causal link to plastic. To reach a higher band, you should focus on providing more realistic, well-reasoned arguments rather than relying on questionable data points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. There is a progression of ideas from the problem to the solutions. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally repetitive. For instance, the transition between sentences could be smoother; phrases like 'Not only from farmers or consumers point of view but if we see from the individual eye' are slightly awkward and hinder the flow. Referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure would benefit from a more sophisticated range of linking words to connect ideas more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. You use some basic terms repeatedly, such as 'plastic' and 'environment'. There are also some collocation errors, such as 'give born to' (should be 'give rise to') and 'running behind saving the money' (should be 'focused on saving money'). While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little evidence of less common lexical items or idiomatic expressions that would demonstrate a more sophisticated command of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the reader's understanding. Examples include 'plastic waste are something' (subject-verb agreement error), 'which is affected all the age groups health' (incorrect passive voice/word order), and 'government need to take' (missing pluralization). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the errors do not completely obscure the meaning, they are frequent enough to prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage would significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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