Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Use of plastics lead a huge negative impact on earth and environment. Law makers and citizen can resolve this issues in many ways. Which will be describe in upcoming paragraph.

First and the foremost problem is, it lead land pollution. To elaborate this, in most of the public places plastic bags, plastic bottles, and plastic can throw by individuals here and there. Therefore, it lead a land pollution as well as it is hazard for the environment. In addition, in the production of the plastic manufacturer use some risky materials which is not only impact human body but also affect environment. For example, many studies say, if we put plastic in mud and check after a year it remain same as before. Thus, we can assume how badly plastic damage to the environment.

However, government and people can stop this in many ways. If government make some strict rules for this it will give positive outcome. For instance, they make rule like if anyone catch to throw plastic in public place, person should pay some amount of money as a penalty. Additionally, youngster or adults can do some voluntary work for this issue. To explain this, they organize events and make some posters which give awarness to society. They give some message through social media.

To sum up, utilization of plastic is not only affect human body but also it will impact on our earth like create land pollution. On the other hand, If rule maker should make some rules and people organize events for this, it will solve.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

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 instance, the explanation of how plastic affects the environment is repetitive, and the solutions provided are quite general. While the position is clear, the arguments lack depth and specific examples that would elevate the response to a higher band. To improve, you should expand on your points with more detailed explanations or concrete real-world examples, ensuring that each paragraph fully explores the topic rather than just stating ideas briefly.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a basic attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'First and the foremost', 'In addition', and 'To sum up'. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear. For example, the phrase 'Which will be describe in upcoming paragraph' is grammatically awkward and disrupts the flow. The use of cohesive devices is sometimes repetitive or slightly unnatural. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence transitions smoothly into the next will help improve the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'bad', 'risky', and 'things'. There are also issues with word formation and collocation, such as 'use of plastics lead a huge negative impact' (should be 'leads to') and 'make rule' (should be 'enforce regulations'). While the meaning is generally clear, the limited range of vocabulary and the frequent errors in word choice prevent a higher score. Try to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to environmental science and policy-making to demonstrate a wider range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('it lead', 'manufacturer use'), article usage ('the environment' vs 'environment'), and tense consistency. For example, 'if anyone catch to throw' should be 'if anyone is caught throwing'. These errors are frequent and sometimes distract the reader, although they do not completely impede communication. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, particularly subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions and articles, before attempting more complex grammatical structures.

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

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