Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-25

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 has emerged as a crucial global concern. This phenomenon poses a direct threat to the environment. This essay will analyze the primary roof cause of this issue namely damage in nature and the propose viable solution such as recycling and alternatives of plastic.

There are several factors contributing to the escalations of this issue. Chief among them is plastic bottles , bags, packagings are very cheap, convenient and easily available. Plastic pollution damages the wildlife and natural ecosystem. Additionally it does not decompose easily. As a result, large amount of plastic remain in the environment for many years. Another major catalyst is plastic bags and bottles often end up in rivers and sea, where they can harm marine animals. For example, sea turtle and other animals may mistake plastic for food, while others can become trapped in plastic waste. Moreover plastic breakdown into tiny pieces which may enter in food chain and potentially affect human as well.

To tackle this pressing issue multifaceted approach must be adopted by both governments and individuals. The most effective remedy would be to implement to limit or ban plastic bags and straws. They can also encourage companies to use environment friendly packaging and improve recycling facilities. By doing so we can save our surroundings from plastic waste. For example , supermarkets could charge customers for plastic bags which encourage people to use reusable bags from home.

Consequently, this measures will drastically reduce the impact of the problem.

To conclude, while plastic bags and bottles driving negative trend, it can be successfully countered through strategical use of alternative products and restriction of plastic usage .If these steps are taken promptly we can safeguard the future of our world.

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 impact on the food chain, could be developed with more depth. The position is clear throughout the essay. However, the introduction contains a minor error ('roof cause' instead of 'root cause'), and the conclusion is slightly repetitive. Overall, the response provides a sufficient overview of the topic, meeting the requirements for a Band 6.5 or 7.0. Given the clarity of the arguments, it leans towards a 6.5 as some points are slightly under-developed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs. There is a progression of ideas from the problem to the solutions. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Additionally', 'Moreover', and 'Consequently', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the problem from the solutions. The referencing is generally clear, although some sentences are slightly disjointed due to minor grammatical errors. The overall structure is coherent, and the reader can easily follow the writer's train of thought throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary such as 'ecosystem', 'decompose', 'catalyst', and 'multifaceted approach'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'driving negative trend' instead of 'driving a negative trend' or 'strategical use' instead of 'strategic use'. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. The range is sufficient to discuss the topic but lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, including missing articles ('in food chain', 'in rivers and sea'), subject-verb agreement issues ('large amount of plastic remain'), and punctuation errors (missing spaces after commas). While these errors are frequent, they rarely impede the reader's understanding. The writer demonstrates an attempt at complex structures, but the control over these is inconsistent. To improve, the student should focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy, particularly regarding articles and pluralization.

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

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