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 plastic is a staple product and widely used across the globe, it 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 research suggests 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 campaigns to encourage people to adapt 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 adapt 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 significant 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 and suggesting solutions for both governments and individuals. The ideas are relevant and clearly presented. The discussion on environmental impact covers air, water, soil, and health, which provides a good breadth of coverage. The solutions are practical and logically linked to the problems identified. To reach a higher band, the development of ideas could be more nuanced; for instance, explaining exactly how government bans on plastic bags lead to specific environmental improvements would strengthen the argument. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets the requirements of the task effectively.

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, which helps the reader follow the argument. Cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'For example', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to connect ideas. However, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother to improve the flow. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the progression of ideas is logical throughout the text. The use of referencing is generally clear, though some minor improvements in the variety of cohesive devices would elevate the score further.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with some precision. Phrases like 'pressing issue', 'sustainable choices', and 'compromised' are used appropriately. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'subsituted' (spelling error) and 'everday' (spelling error). While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, it lacks the sophistication and 'less common' lexical items that would characterize a higher band. The student relies on some repetitive phrasing, such as 'plastic' and 'environment', which could be mitigated by using synonyms or more varied collocations to demonstrate a wider lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several instances of grammatical errors, such as 'Plastics are used... and has become' (subject-verb agreement error) and 'affecting the natural habitat' (fragmented sentence structure in the conclusion). Despite these errors, the meaning is always clear, and the mistakes do not impede communication. The use of punctuation is generally correct. To improve, the student should focus on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that all sentences are complete, rather than relying on participial phrases that occasionally lack a clear subject.

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.