Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-26

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 the current generation, the usage of Plastic objects are becoming more popular. polythene, plastic water bottles, and packaging are very harmful not only for atmosphere but also dangerous for human body as well.

To commence, Usage of plastic is a major cause of soil, water pollutions. sometimes, water animals and mammals consume water from the lake, which affect their health, which make serious impact on the environment. Plastics could be a cause of cancer for human bodies. For example, In 2001, 19 years old teenager had been consuming water from the plastic pouch and bottles, having plastic packed snacks since the 1980 in India. As result the teenager became a serious patient and the doctor had reveled the actual truth behind patient's pain, patient had blood cancer at the age of 19. Moreover, family of the patient had to spent $95,000 for the treatment. Family saved sufferer, although all the members decided to say no to plastic.

Several measures could help address this issue. Government could ban on the usage of polythene, plastic bottles and packaging items, which are made by the plastic, Official should heavy fine on individual, who keep continue sell the plastic bags. To reduce the level of plastic, not only government but also local community should work together. For instance, People should not throw plastic garbage anywhere, should follow proper process to maintain healthy environment.

To recapitulate, Everyone should say not to plastic bag and say yes to paper bags, or should use cotton carry bag. Additionally, Corporate companies help to keep better atmosphere by including natural utensils, which made by plant based starch.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the environmental damage caused by plastic and potential solutions. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. The example provided regarding the teenager in India is overly specific and anecdotal, which detracts from the academic tone required for this task. While the solutions (government bans and individual responsibility) are relevant, they are presented in a somewhat simplistic manner. To reach a higher band, you should focus on broader environmental impacts—such as microplastics in the food chain or the longevity of plastic in landfills—rather than relying on a single, unverified personal anecdote.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. There is an attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'To commence,' 'Moreover,' and 'To recapitulate.' However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel forced. For instance, the jump from the health impact on animals to the specific case study of the teenager lacks a smooth logical bridge. Additionally, some referencing is unclear, such as the phrase 'As result the teenager became a serious patient,' which lacks a proper determiner or connector. Improving the variety and naturalness of your linking words will enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range expected at higher levels. You use basic terms like 'bad,' 'harmful,' and 'dangerous' repeatedly. There are also some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'reveled the actual truth' (likely meant 'revealed') and 'keep better atmosphere' (which is not standard usage). To improve, try to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to environmental science, such as 'non-biodegradable,' 'ecosystem degradation,' or 'sustainable alternatives,' rather than relying on general descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('usage of Plastic objects are'), missing articles ('Government could ban on the usage'), and incorrect word forms ('Official should heavy fine'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for article usage and verb forms would be highly beneficial.

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

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