Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-18

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 6.0)

There has been an ongoing argument saying that plastic bags, plastic bottles and plastic packaging are terrible for the environment. These artificial products are one of the innovation that makes the production industry interesting. Conversely, they are toxic in some way. However, there have been many solutions made available to tackle this problem. This essay will be stating problems and solutions.

Our surrounding is an important part of our everyday life. Damages caused by plastics in our area includes; first, the ugly sight it gives when they are not properly disposed. This will lead to blockage of our drainage system. Arguably, used bags and bottles are meant to be recycled. When the people in the society are ignorant of recycling and its gain, this will bring about environmental hazards thus erosion and flooding. For example, failure to adhere to sanitation rules and regulation most especially during the rainy season will bring about problems in our environs.

Personally, I generally believe that the government officials likewise individuals can work hand in hand to create awareness campaign. I am very sure the citizens will gain knowledge about the possible risks and advantages of our waste products. In addition, the government can create an empowerment program. For example, if they can build recycling facilities, employ experienced staff, reliable power supply, and provide the adequate machinery, the quality of recycling will be excellent.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that synthetic bags, bottles and packaging can be bad to our society. Although there are possible solutions to curb the problem such as awareness campaign and empowerment programs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the environmental damage caused by plastic and potential solutions. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of how plastic causes flooding is a good start but lacks depth. The solutions provided, such as 'awareness campaigns' and 'empowerment programs', are relevant but remain quite general. To achieve a higher band, you should provide more specific examples or elaborate on the mechanisms of these solutions. The position is clear throughout, but the overall development of the arguments could be more detailed to fully satisfy the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. There is a basic progression of ideas from the introduction to the body paragraphs and the conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as the transition 'Conversely, they are toxic in some way' which does not perfectly fit the preceding sentence. Additionally, some referencing is slightly unclear, such as 'This will lead to blockage'. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to create a more natural, cohesive text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, allowing the message to be conveyed clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'environmental hazards', 'sanitation', and 'synthetic'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional inaccuracies in word choice or collocation, such as 'innovation that makes the production industry interesting' or 'empowerment program' to describe recycling facilities. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary and collocations related to environmental science and policy to demonstrate a more sophisticated control of language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist throughout the text. For example, 'one of the innovation' should be 'one of the innovations', and 'Our surrounding is' should be 'Our surroundings are'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly the use of a semicolon after 'includes' in the second paragraph. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct punctuation will help improve your accuracy.

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.