Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-23
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)
People are using lots of plastic products on daily basis. Environment is contaminated by plastic polythene, plastic bottles and plastic packaging. Although there are numerous problems of using plastic items, regime and society can be done by creating awareness. I will explain further information in upcoming paragraphs.
On the one hand, there are many problems creates by people using of plastic. The main reason is harmful gases. Community is using lots of plastic bags with this harmful gases are producing in environment, which puts worse imapct on earth and individuals. Therefore, people are hospitalized day by day just because of these gases. Furthermore, second reason is plastic items are not easily breakdown. People using lots of plastic containers on daily basis. With this, garabage is collected as a form of plastic items, which is not easily decompose in soil. As a result, land and water pollution tackled by society.
On the other hand, there are possible solutions that i will explain in this paragraph. The first solution is awareness. Government should conduct seminars with the help of students, which may be beneficial for everyone. As well, government should create awareness about environment. Second is fine penalty. If every shops or local markets venders use plastic polythene, law maker should impose fine on them so that they can aware about these things. People should use paper bags instead of plastic ones.
In conclusion, people are using plastic bags on daily basis with this water contamination is expanding everyday. So that regime should impose fine, punishment, and create awareness about environment and health.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the environmental damage caused by plastic and potential solutions. However, the development of ideas is limited. For instance, the claim that plastic produces 'harmful gases' that lead to hospitalization is scientifically vague and lacks clear explanation. Similarly, the solutions provided, such as 'seminars' and 'fines', are mentioned but not fully explored or supported with concrete examples. The position is clear, but the arguments remain somewhat superficial, preventing a higher score. To improve, you should focus on providing more specific, logical explanations for your claims and ensuring that your examples are relevant and well-integrated into your arguments.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. There is a basic attempt at using cohesive devices, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion'. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or inaccurate, such as the phrase 'With this' used repeatedly to start sentences. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, making the flow between sentences feel disjointed. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each sentence logically follows the previous one to create a smoother progression of ideas throughout the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward word choices and non-standard collocations, such as 'regime and society can be done', 'problems creates by', and 'tackled by society'. Some terms are used incorrectly, such as 'polythene' (which is a material, not a synonym for plastic bags) and 'venders'. While the meaning is generally clear, the limited range of vocabulary and the frequent errors in word choice indicate a need for more exposure to academic collocations and a better understanding of word forms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the reader's understanding. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'there are many problems creates by'), incorrect preposition usage, and awkward phrasing (e.g., 'people are using lots of plastic products on daily basis'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the errors do not completely obscure the meaning, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and the correct use of articles and prepositions.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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