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)

Non-biodegradable products such as plastics bags, bottles and packaging items imposes detrimental effects on the environment. This can pollute environment in many ways. To save the mother earth, government and people of nation needs to implement crucial steps that I will discuss in the coming paragraphs.

Plastics cause damage to environment by polluting land, water and air. To begin with, when the plastics thrown on the ground, it fills the land surface and thus stop water to flow into the soil which results in land degradation. In addition to that, this non recycle plastics remain on land for years without natural decomposition which cause land pollution. Furthermore, industries release hazardous waste in water that includes plastics which pollute the ocean and also destroys the habitat of aquatic animals. Burning of plastics products releases toxic gases that may entrapped in earth's atmosphere which results into air pollution.

To eliminate this issue, people and government of the country needs to adopt the principle of 4R. This means to shift the focus on refuse, reduce, reuse and recycle products. Government can also introduce laws that restrict the use of plastics products and encourage people to use more paper based products through campaigns and advertisements. Furthermore, individuals need to understand the dangers and refuse to buy products that contains plastic packaging. Moreover, people should have to dispose organic and non organic waste separately. This way, with the correct approach ,government and people can save the environment from pollution.

To summarize the key point of the essay, use of plastic can cause tremendous damages to environment but when government and individuals take proper precaution then this can be solved.

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 and clearly presented. However, the development is somewhat limited; for instance, the explanation of how plastic affects the soil is a bit simplistic. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific examples or elaborate further on the consequences of the pollution mentioned. The position is clear throughout, and the structure follows a logical progression that covers the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'To begin with,' 'In addition to that,' and 'Furthermore' to link ideas. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing (e.g., 'this non recycle plastics' should be 'these non-recyclable plastics'). Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the problem from the solution. Overall, the flow of information is easy to follow, though more sophisticated linking words would enhance the cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'non-biodegradable,' 'detrimental,' 'hazardous waste,' and 'decomposition.' There are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'people of nation' (should be 'people of a nation') and 'non recycle plastics' (should be 'non-recyclable plastics'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise control over word forms and collocations to reach a higher band. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'plastics bags... imposes' should be 'impose') and article usage (e.g., 'pollute environment' should be 'pollute the environment'). Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'Burning of plastics products releases toxic gases that may entrapped,' which should be 'may be entrapped.' While these errors are noticeable, they rarely prevent the reader from understanding your points. Increasing your focus on proofreading for basic agreement and verb forms will improve your score.

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