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)

In the 21st century, where inflation is skyrocketing, people are looking for cheap things to use in day-to-day activities. Plastic has become the common source for everyday use because it is inexpensive and easy to manufacture, however it is affecting environment negatively in various ways. In this essay I am going explore the harmful effects of plastic to environment and the measures authorities can take to eliminate this issue.

There are several problems related to plastic use. Starting with, decomposing. Unlike most of the other things plastic cannot be decomposed, it will take hundred of years for a tiny piece of plastic to be decomposed which led to environmental pollution, as it can affect growth of the plants causes them to die. Secondly, plastic is dangerous to animals. For instance, tons of plastics bottles and bags are found in oceans every year that severely damage the sea life and many animals eat plastics that can get stuck in their throats which lead the animals to die. Lastly, not only to animals but to humans too, plastic is a threat. Like, the toxic chemicals used to make plastic can alter the human DNA that may lead to various diseases such as cancer.

However, discontinuing the use of plastic completely may result in public outburst. Therefore, policymakers can take some actions to control the usage of plastic, for example recycling the already manufactured and used plastic instead of making new. Furthermore, promoting the use of paper bags that are very easy to recycle and produce very less damage to the nature. Also, government can organize seminars in schools and in public places to educate the public about the harmful effects of plastic and children from early age can learn it too.

To recapitulate, I believe that discontinuing the use of plastic materials completely may not be a good idea because a lot of things require plastics to get manufactured and used properly, however to limit the use authorities should focus more on recycling the used plastic.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying environmental damage and proposing solutions for both governments and individuals. The ideas are relevant, though some points, such as the claim that plastic alters human DNA, lack scientific nuance and could be better supported. The position is clear throughout, and the essay maintains a consistent focus on the topic. To reach a higher band, ensure that the solutions are more distinct between government actions and individual responsibilities, as the current response focuses heavily on policy-level interventions while grouping individual actions under general public education.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the problems from the solutions. Cohesive devices such as 'Starting with', 'Secondly', 'Furthermore', and 'To recapitulate' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or repetitive, and the referencing within sentences could be smoother. For example, the phrase 'Starting with, decomposing' is grammatically awkward and disrupts the flow. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring they connect ideas more naturally would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'skyrocketing' and 'recapitulate'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'common source for everyday use' instead of 'common material' or 'everyday commodity', and 'produce very less damage' instead of 'cause significantly less damage'. While these errors do not impede communication, they limit the score to the 6.0 range. Expanding the range of precise, topic-specific collocations would improve this score.

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 articles ('the environment', 'the nature'), pluralization ('hundred of years'), and sentence construction ('Starting with, decomposing'). Some sentences are run-on or lack necessary punctuation, such as the comma splice in the first paragraph: '...easy to manufacture, however it is affecting...'. To improve, the student should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of conjunctions and punctuation to connect independent clauses. The current level of error is noticeable but does not prevent the reader from understanding the message.

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