Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-14

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)

In this contemporary era, numerous individuals use products made of plastics everyday from drinking water bottles to packaging of items. These are affecting the living environment in many ways. People should take steps to resolve this issue by following the government guidelines and collaborating with them.

The most prominent effect of plastic overuse is on our oceans and creatures living in them. Another one we can see is piling up land fields. This non-biodegradable materials are affecting the lands as well. For instance, increased level of plastic bags being deposited in the lands and affecting farming by occupying the space. It is extremely hard to get rid of this material as it produces carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide when burned and leading to air pollution.

To overcome this issue government should spread awareness among people about the side effects of using plastic materials and running campaigns to use other alternatives to it. However, it is unavoidable but people can choose recyclable ones over other non-recyclable ones. In addition, we can use other materials to avoid use of plastics like glass, steel, bronze, and brass. For instance, instead of using water bottles made of cheap plastic material using steel and bronze. These are not only the better alternatives but healthy and durable as well. International campaigns and collaboration is required to deal with this together.

To conclude, the understanding of cons of use of plastic is required by every individual on the earth especially the effects on animals. The governments of different countries should come forward and work unitedly to find permanent solution to this issue.

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 the impact on oceans and landfills, and the proposed solutions like using alternative materials are practical. However, the development of these points is somewhat superficial. For instance, the mention of 'carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide' is a good start, but the explanation of how these specifically relate to plastic incineration could be more detailed. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully extended with more specific evidence or logical reasoning rather than listing several ideas briefly.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. There is a progression of ideas from the problem to the solutions. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'For instance', 'In addition', and 'To conclude', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'Another one we can see is piling up land fields.' The use of pronouns and linking words could be more varied to improve the flow between sentences and ensure the connections between ideas are more sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'non-biodegradable', 'incineration' (implied), and 'alternatives'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'piling up land fields' instead of 'landfill sites' and 'running campaigns to use other alternatives to it'. The range is sufficient to communicate, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band. Expanding the range of academic collocations would significantly improve the quality of the writing.

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 that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'This non-biodegradable materials are affecting' (subject-verb agreement error) and 'instead of using water bottles made of cheap plastic material using steel and bronze' (awkward phrasing/missing punctuation). There are also minor issues with articles and prepositions. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more consistent control over complex structures to achieve a higher score.

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