Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Plastic bags, Plastic bottles and plastic packaging have become an essential part of modern life because they are reasonable and convenient and easy to use. Plastic use at large extent can cause a serious problem as it is non biodegradable. Government and individuals need to get together to tackle this issue before it becomes hard nut to crack.

First and foremost reason behind the over reliance on plastic can cause various health issues because plastic is non biodegradable materials which can break into microplastics and can enter into food, soil and water. Moreover, when people dispose plastic into rivers, ocean then it can harm the wildlife because marine life can mistakenly consume it as food. In addition, when people will consume sea food they can become ill as indirectly are also consuming plastic. As a result, they can suffer through cancer and other serious ailments.

Government can help to stop this problem by enforcing stricter laws to reduce single-use plastics. Government can ban the use of plastic bags or can charge people with disposable fee on single-use plastic bottles and packaged foods. Individuals can also help to reduce plastic pollution by using correct disposing method and can also use eco-friendly products to reduce the plastic waste.

In conclusion, plastic pollution can cause long-term health effects on wildlife, ocean and wider environment. Government have authority to interduce strict laws and can spread awareness among people to reduce the over reliance on plastic use. Individuals can also change their daily habit. collective efforts can contribute to reduce plastic waste.

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, though some points, such as the link between seafood consumption and cancer, are somewhat speculative and could be better supported with more precise reasoning. The position is clear throughout, and the essay follows a logical structure. To reach a higher band, ensure that the development of ideas is more balanced; for instance, the section on individual actions is quite brief compared to the government section. Overall, the task is fulfilled adequately.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the problem from the solutions. Cohesive devices such as 'First and foremost', 'Moreover', and 'In addition' are used to guide the reader, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Referencing is generally clear, though there are minor issues with pronoun usage and sentence flow. The progression of ideas is coherent, and the reader can easily follow the argument from the environmental impact to the proposed solutions.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is sufficient for the task, allowing for the expression of ideas with reasonable clarity. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'non-biodegradable' and 'over-reliance', which are used correctly. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'reasonable' instead of 'affordable' or 'cost-effective', and 'hard nut to crack', which is an idiom that feels slightly informal for an academic-style essay. Spelling is generally accurate, though 'interduce' is a notable error.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with article usage ('the' before 'government' or 'plastic') and subject-verb agreement ('Government have authority' should be 'The government has authority'). Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'when people will consume sea food they can become ill as indirectly are also consuming plastic'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the score. Increasing the variety of error-free complex structures would improve the grade.

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