Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-17

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)

There has been an ongoing debate regarding the negative influence of plastic usage as bags, bottles and packaging on the environment. There are a number of disadvantages that are caused by frequent use of plastics including choking oceans, poisoning wildlife, releasing toxins in the air, water and soil.

Plastics are used in many industries and has become an important product in everyday life. People prefer to purchase items made up of plastic for both household and commercial use as it is cheap and easily available. Although it is a staple product and widely used across the globe, plastic has done some great harm to the environment. For example, they release toxins in the air which pollutes the air quality index whereas many sea animals are choked by these synthetic materials. The quality of soil is also compromised affecting the crops and the agriculture market. Many of these factors are also contributing to the global warming. New researches suggest that microplastics are found in the blood of humans contributing to major health issues.

Governments should take effective measures to address this pressing issue which is posing a great threat to the environment. They must initiate awareness compaigns to encourage people to adopt more sustainable choices. For example, use of plastic bags in grocery stores must be banned while plastic bottles must be replaced and subsituted with eco-friendly materials. Reusable natural products must be introduced for everday usage like wood, steel and natural fibre cloth. People must adopt to these changes and show compliance on a bigger scale to avoid further damage. Moreover, recycling of plastics into useful products reduces landfill and saves energy compared to making new plastic.

In conclusion, plastics pose a major threat to life on earth and affecting the natural habitat. This issue must be resolved on both government and individual levels to ensure a safe, healthy and prosperous life on earth.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying environmental damage (toxins, wildlife harm, soil degradation) and proposing solutions (government awareness campaigns, bans, and individual behavioral changes). The ideas are relevant and clearly presented. However, the development of these points is somewhat general. For instance, while you mention that microplastics are found in human blood, this point could be expanded to explain the long-term implications for human health. Similarly, the solutions are practical but could be more deeply explored with specific examples of successful policies from other countries to reach a higher band. Overall, the position is clear and the response is well-focused on the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'For example', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion' to link ideas effectively. However, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother to better connect the problem to the proposed solutions. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the referencing is generally clear, though some sentences could be more tightly linked to improve the overall flow and cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with some precision, using terms like 'synthetic materials', 'sustainable choices', and 'compromised'. There are some minor spelling errors, such as 'compaigns' (campaigns) and 'subsituted' (substituted). Additionally, some word choices are slightly repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'plastic' and 'environment'. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms or collocations related to environmental science. While the vocabulary is adequate for the task and communication is never impeded, a wider variety of less common lexical items would be required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'Plastics are used... and has become' (subject-verb agreement error) and 'adopt to these changes' (incorrect preposition usage). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. You show an ability to use complex structures, but the accuracy is not consistent throughout. To reach a higher band, focus on ensuring subject-verb agreement and refining the use of prepositions. The punctuation is generally accurate, and the sentence variety is sufficient to maintain reader interest.

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

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