Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-19

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)

NOWDAYS, ENVIRONMENT ISSUES BECOME COMMOM AND WIDELY DISCUSSED ISSUES. SOME BELIEVES THAT PLASTIC BAGS AND PLASTIC BOTTLES ARE BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AS THIS LEADS TO POLLUTION. IN THIS ESSAY I WILL DISCUSS THE MAIN POINTS RELATED TO THIS ISSUE AND PROVIDE APPROPRIATE SOLUTIONS TO SOLVE THIS.

TO BEGIN WITH, ONE IMPORTANT POINT IS THAT PLASTIC TAKE MANY YEARS TO BREAKDOWN. PEOPLE USE PLASTIC AS THIS IS CHEAP AND THEY THROW THE BAGS OR BOTTLES IN THE LANDFILL AND THIS MAY HARM ANIMALS AS THEY EAT PLASTIC BAGS AND THIS LEADS TO WILDLIFE EXTENSIONS. IN ADDITION, PLASTIC BAGS AND BOTTELS MAY AFFECT HUMAN HEALTH AND CAUSE SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUES. FOR INSTANCE, MY FAMILY USED PLASTIC BAGS AND ONCE THEY THROW THE BAG ON THE LAND AND A COW COME AND EAT THAT BAG WHICH LEADS TO DEATH OF COW. HOWEVER, BURNING PLASTIC THINGS CAN ALSO CAUSE AIR POLLUTION.

ON THE ONE HAND, GOVERNMENT CAN TAKE VARIOUS STEPS TO CONTROL THE USE OF PLASTIC BAGS TO PREVENT ENVIRONMENT. THEY CAN INTRODUCE ONE WAY USE OF PLASTIC AND ALSO TAKE IMPORTANT STEPS TO GUIDE OR ENCOURAGE COMPANIES TO USE GLASS OR ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY EQUIPMENTS TO REDUCE THE DAMAGE. ANOTHER STEP CAN BE TAKE MY INDIVIDUALS BY USING REUSEABLE SHOPPING BAGS OR CAN USE COTTON BAGS. THEY CAN ALSO RECYCLE PLASTIC RATHER THAN THROWING IN THE DUSTBIN OR BURNING IT.

IN CONCLUSION, IN THE VIEW OF ASSERTION OUTLINED ABOVE, I THINK THAT PLASTIC USE CAN BE REDUCED. GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS INDIVIDUALS NEED TO THINK ABOUT THE USE OF PLASTIC AS THIS CAN SAVE LAND AND PROVIDE ECO-FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE PLASTIC MAY AFFECT THE LAND AS WELL AS HUMAN HEALTH

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 from governments and individuals. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, the explanation of 'wildlife extensions' (extinction) and the impact on human health is brief and lacks depth. While the position is clear, the supporting arguments could be more thoroughly extended to reach a higher band. The inclusion of a personal example is relevant, but the overall analysis remains somewhat superficial.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To begin with', 'In addition', and 'On the one hand', though some transitions feel mechanical or slightly repetitive. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the internal structure of the paragraphs could be improved by better linking the sentences to ensure a smoother flow of information. Referencing is generally clear, though some phrasing is slightly awkward.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There are several instances of word-choice errors or non-standard collocations, such as 'wildlife extensions' instead of 'wildlife extinction' and 'one way use of plastic' instead of 'single-use plastic'. The range of vocabulary is limited to basic terms, and there is some repetition of words like 'plastic', 'bags', and 'bottles'. To improve, you should focus on using more precise terminology related to environmental issues.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'plastic take many years', 'some believes') and article usage errors. Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence construction is often repetitive. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable and suggest a need for more careful proofreading and practice with basic grammatical rules.

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

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