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)

Nowadays, plastic has become a fundamental problem for environment. Usage of plastic bottles, bags and plastic packaging are imposing detrimental effect on environment. This essay will discuss the damage cause by plastic waste and suggest some solution to tackle this issue.

First and foremost, the main damages happen to environment are land and water pollution. Excessive use of plastic in things make them cheaper compared to other material. But it is non bio-degradable material means it stay in environment for decades. Those plastic made belongings are thrown on land and water bodies. As a result, aquatic life is disturbed. For example, many plastic products are observed on mostly lakes and ponds in some countries because of lack strict regulations.

Some possible solutions would be ban excessive use of plastic and find proper replacement. Government should introduce strict regulation against plastic manufacturing industries in order to reduce consumption. As a consequence, production and consumption would be lower. It is not only government responsibility to conserve environment but also individuals can take steps to protect nature. Most of plastic items ought to be replaced by degradable papers and leaves. If people start using paper based items which are degraded later, consumption of plastic would be fall significantly. Ultimately, there is no threat to environment. For instance, recently in India, plastic made for water pouches were banned from everywhere.

In conclusion, not only authorities but also citizens are both responsible for conserving nature for future generation by taking some strict steps toward usage of non degradable plastic materials such as finding replacement of plastic and follow regulations imposed by government because it is seriously cause pollutions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt: it identifies environmental damage (pollution of land and water) and proposes solutions (government regulation and individual action). The ideas are relevant, though some points are slightly under-developed. For example, the explanation of how plastic affects aquatic life is brief. The position is clear throughout, and the essay maintains a consistent focus on the topic. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your examples with more specific detail or logical consequences to ensure the development of ideas is more thorough and persuasive.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'First and foremost', 'As a result', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'Most of plastic items ought to be replaced'. Additionally, there are minor issues with referencing and flow, such as the sentence 'It is not only government responsibility to conserve environment but also individuals can take steps'. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the overall cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the message to be conveyed clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'non bio-degradable', 'aquatic life', and 'manufacturing industries'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'fundamental problem for environment' (should be 'the environment') and 'consumption of plastic would be fall' (should be 'would fall'). The range is sufficient for the task, but more precise and varied vocabulary would be needed for a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('for environment' instead of 'for the environment'), pluralization ('some solution' instead of 'some solutions'), and verb forms ('it stay' instead of 'it stays'). Some sentences are slightly disjointed due to these errors. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to limit the score in this criterion.

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