Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

In recent years, plastic items have been used to harm the environment and nature as well. This topic has become a widely discussed issue. While there are different views on this matter. This essay will examine the main aspects of this issue before reaching a conclusion.

The first important point to consider is that plastic items take a long time to decompose in nature. Moreover, it contains millions of harmful particles in it. For example, one plastic container takes 20 years to decompose. There are countless plastic bags, plastic bottles and plastic packaging products available in the market. As a result, all those plastic items will stay on Earth for a long time, which indirectly harms the environment.

To resolve this problem, authorities must take legal action against these items being sold. On the other hand, the government can replace those plastic items with wooden or different materials product. For instance, plastic bags can be replaced by paper bags, and plastic bottles can be replaced by wooden or metal bottles. Consequently, we can save nature and the environment. Also, not only the government is responsible for this issue, individuals have to understand all these things that how we can protect the environment.

In conclusion, this issue has both positive and negative aspects. I believe that the government and people have to be aware of the environmental problems. They must avoid using plastic products and ban from the stores to being sold. Therefore, with appropriate measures and a balanced approach, the situation can be improved significantly.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying environmental damage and suggesting solutions for both governments and individuals. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, the claim that 'one plastic container takes 20 years to decompose' is scientifically inaccurate and lacks depth. The solutions provided, such as replacing plastic with wood, are relevant but could be expanded with more sophisticated reasoning. The position is clear, but the conclusion introduces a confusing statement about the issue having 'positive aspects,' which contradicts the essay's premise that plastic is harmful. To reach a higher band, ensure that arguments are supported by more logical, well-developed evidence.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover,' 'As a result,' and 'In conclusion' are used to link ideas. However, there are instances where the flow is slightly mechanical or awkward, such as the sentence fragment 'While there are different views on this matter.' Additionally, the transition between the government's role and the individual's responsibility in the third paragraph is abrupt. Improving the variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that sentences flow more naturally into one another would enhance the overall coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate their ideas clearly. There is some repetition of basic terms like 'plastic items' and 'environment.' While the student attempts to use some topic-specific vocabulary, such as 'decompose' and 'particles,' the range is somewhat limited. There are also minor collocation issues, such as 'ban from the stores to being sold,' which is grammatically and lexically awkward. To improve, the student should aim to incorporate a wider range of synonyms and more precise collocations to express their ideas with greater sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. For instance, 'it contains millions of harmful particles in it' is redundant, and 'individuals have to understand all these things that how we can protect' is syntactically incorrect. There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and preposition usage. While the errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points, they are frequent enough to prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on sentence structure and proofreading for basic errors would be beneficial.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.