Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-13

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)

Plastic is very harmful for the environment and for the lives as well. Nowadays, plastic has been used everywhere as plastic bags, plastic bottles and in packaging as well. Excessive use of plastic is disturbing the weather as well.

There are a plenty of disadvantages of using plastic items. Firstly, plastic do not completely dispose and its remains cause environmental pollution.

Secondly, plastic bags and bottles thrown into the rivers which cause water pollution due to which lakes and oceans also get polluted. For example, marine animals consume the plastic as a food which leads to their health issue. Thirdly, plastic use damage the climate system and produce more greenhouse gas emissions due to which global warming is increasing day by day.

Government can take several steps to reduce the use of plastic. There should be ban on plastic bags and should be replaced by cotton bags instead. Individuals should also need to increase the use cotton bags as it is environmentally friendly alternative. Government can provide awareness campaigns of harmful effects of plastic use and educate individuals about the waste separation and how to dispose it carefully. Apart from this, Government can support companies to produce more recyclable bags and bottles and there could be some benefits of selling reusable bottles and cans which helps to individuals to get habitual of it.

In conclusion, not only government could solve this problem but the individuals also need to be careful and get educated about the environmentally friendly things to use like cotton bags and reusable items. Government could introduce some alternatives of plastic which can help to save the environment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying environmental damage and suggesting solutions for both governments and individuals. The ideas are relevant, such as marine pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. However, the development is somewhat superficial. For instance, the explanation of how plastic affects the climate system is brief and could be more detailed. The position is clear throughout, but the arguments would benefit from more specific examples or deeper analysis to reach a higher band. Overall, the response is well-structured and covers the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the problems from the solutions. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Thirdly', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as 'its remains' where the antecedent is not perfectly clear. Despite these small issues, the progression of ideas is logical and easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are some attempts at topic-specific vocabulary like 'greenhouse gas emissions', 'waste separation', and 'environmentally friendly'. However, the range is somewhat limited and repetitive, with frequent use of basic terms like 'plastic' and 'use'. There are also minor collocation errors, such as 'plastic do not completely dispose' (should be 'decompose') and 'get habitual of it' (should be 'get into the habit of it'). The vocabulary is sufficient but lacks the sophistication required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('plastic do not', 'plastic use damage') and missing articles ('There should be ban'). Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'Individuals should also need to increase the use cotton bags'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. A greater focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy would significantly improve the quality of the writing.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.