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)

Climate changes are having detrimental effects around the globe. One of the major contributing factors is the plastics and items made of plastics such as bags, bottles and packaging. There are several ways through which plastic products can adversely affect the environment including a land pollution and a threat for marine animals. This essay will discuss both damages done by plastics and viable solution by coordinated efforts of individuals and governments.

The first and the foremost drawback of using plastic is that it is not bio-degradable. Such materials fill the land-fields for years and remain unaltered. As a result of that fertility of a soil reduces. Plastic is not only slow toxic for soil and animals but also has a detrimental effects on marine life as well. As an example when huge amount of plastic waste goes into sea which later consumed by marine animals turned out to be dangerous to them. Additionally, microplastics as they are extremely small, they can travel through water, wind, soil and are difficult to remove, also can join food chain and have damaging effects on entire ecosystem.

Fortunately, coordinated actions of the government body and people can significantly reduce overall damage to the environment caused by plastics. Firstly, the government should encourage reuse of plastic and ban the plastic products such as plastic bags. This changes will result in decline of plastic use. Moreover, individuals should be mindful while shopping that can be achieved by awareness programmes and campaigns. If people adapt sustainable lifestyle and start using eco-friendly alternatives of plastic products, the plastic waste will be reduced and consequently damage to the environment will reduce.

In conclusion, although there are several contributing factors to the environmental damage. Plastic has deleterious effects on entire eco-system, to combat this issues the government should take strict actions such as banning some plastic items and individuals should coordinate with the same.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying environmental damages such as soil degradation and threats to marine life, and proposing solutions involving government policy and individual behavior. The position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited; for instance, the explanation of how microplastics enter the food chain is brief, and the solutions could be more specific (e.g., mentioning specific types of legislation or concrete educational initiatives). While the response covers the requirements, it lacks the depth of analysis expected for a higher band score, tending to over-generalize the impact and the proposed solutions.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'The first and the foremost', 'Additionally', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or repetitive. For example, the use of 'As a result of that' and 'As an example' feels a bit forced. Paragraphing is appropriate, but the internal flow within the second paragraph is slightly disjointed due to the sentence structure. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, but the management of cohesion could be more sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with some attempts at more sophisticated terms like 'deleterious', 'bio-degradable', and 'sustainable'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice or collocation errors, such as 'slow toxic for soil' and 'land-fields' (landfills). The phrase 'coordinated actions of the government body' is slightly unnatural. While the student demonstrates a sufficient range to convey meaning, the lack of precision and occasional errors in word choice prevent a higher score. The vocabulary is functional but lacks the flexibility and natural control required for a band 7 or above.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'Climate changes are having' (should be 'Climate change is having'), 'a land pollution' (should be 'land pollution'), and 'This changes will result' (should be 'These changes'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but there are minor issues with article usage and subject-verb agreement throughout. While the meaning is never obscured, the frequency of these errors indicates that the student does not yet have full control over complex structures. The grammar is sufficient for communication but lacks the accuracy required for higher bands.

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

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