Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Plastic bags, bottles and packaging are not good for the environment because it is non biodegradable. I firmly believe that government and individuals should take some steps to reduce the pollution and introduce some other alternatives that will not harm our planet and environment.

To begin with, all the plastic things are bad for the environment because plastic is non biodegradable and also it is not recyclable. This waste is increasing day by day and also affecting the soil. People can use tote bags and steel bottles because these things are biodegradable and are easily disposed in soil. As a results, these measures can help to reduce the use of plastic things in our daily lives.

Moreover, government should also encourage people to use others alternatives instead of plastic by running campaigns and slogans such as Save environment Save Earth. Government should also ban plastic bottles, bags and packaging so that people will buy tote bags and things which are made by paper and steel. Individuals should also come forward to save the environment. As they can give knowledge each other about the plastic and encourage each other to use the things that are recycled.

In conclusion, I think if government ban industries that make plastic materials and individuals should reduce the consumption of plastic, these actions can help in preventing the soil and environment pollution.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the environmental damage caused by plastic and potential solutions. However, the development is limited. The explanation of environmental damage is brief, focusing only on non-biodegradability and soil impact. The solutions are also somewhat generic, lacking depth or specific examples. Furthermore, the response is under the 250-word minimum, which significantly impacts the ability to fully develop ideas. To improve, you should expand on the specific types of damage (e.g., marine life, microplastics) and provide more detailed, practical steps for governments and individuals.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the argument. There is a basic attempt at using cohesive devices such as 'To begin with,' 'Moreover,' and 'In conclusion.' However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the use of referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'give knowledge each other.' The logical progression is present but simplistic. To reach a higher band, you should use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that the transition between ideas is smoother and more sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks range and precision. You rely on basic terms like 'plastic things,' 'bad,' and 'use.' There are some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'give knowledge each other' instead of 'share information' or 'raise awareness.' The repetition of 'plastic things' and 'environment' suggests a limited vocabulary. To improve, try to incorporate more precise terminology related to environmental science, such as 'synthetic polymers,' 'ecosystem degradation,' or 'sustainable alternatives,' and focus on using more accurate collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'it is non biodegradable' (missing hyphen and pluralization), 'As a results' (incorrect pluralization), and 'government should' (missing article 'the'). Subject-verb agreement and article usage are inconsistent throughout the text. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic errors like subject-verb agreement, articles, and plural forms, and practice incorporating more varied complex sentence structures.

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

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