Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Plastic is a very common material in our daily live I used plastic bags , bottles and many more things daily which is make by plastic . And we all know very well plastic is harmful cause for our environment.

Plastic create a lots of waste on environment. Because plastic do not break down easily and it is stay in the environment for many year . And plastic waste also pollute rivers , lakes and and oceans . And it is also harmful for animals when they eat it and it stuck in there mouth and increase a diseases . Moreover, when we burn plastic bottles and any other things which I made by plastic its causes a air pollution which pollute air and harmful for living things for take a oxygen.

Government will help by reducing use of plastic. For example government also provide a Bins for waste of plastic and also ban on more use of plastic when they provide recycled bins then people recognised the waste of plastic in the bin .

Individuals can also help in reuse the plastic bags and bottles instead of take a new one and they can also make the more use of clothing bags which is a good for them . And also government responsibility for this they make a strick rule for shops who sales more plastic they banned and ask them for use of clothing bags which is a good for all ones.

In conclusion , I think plastic is a serious problem of a health and environment mostly. In this case both are government and individuals together and reduce a waste and us eof plastic things.and keep our environment clear and neet.

Thank you.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying environmental damage caused by plastic and suggesting solutions for both governments and individuals. However, the development of these ideas is limited. For instance, the explanation of how plastic harms animals is brief and lacks specific detail. The suggestions for solutions, such as 'provide a Bins' or 'make a strick rule', are somewhat generic and lack depth. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your points with more specific examples or logical reasoning, ensuring that the connection between the problem and the proposed solution is clearly articulated for the reader.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive. For example, the frequent use of 'And' at the beginning of sentences disrupts the flow. There are also issues with referencing; in the second paragraph, 'it' is used multiple times, but the antecedent is not always clear. While there is an overall progression of ideas, the lack of sophisticated linking words makes the transition between sentences feel somewhat disjointed. Improving the variety of transition signals would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but remains quite basic. You rely on simple terms like 'bad', 'harmful', and 'things' throughout the essay. There are also errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'make a strick rule' (should be 'implement strict regulations') and 'increase a diseases' (should be 'increase the risk of disease'). While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little evidence of less common or more precise lexical items that would demonstrate a higher level of language proficiency.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('plastic do not break down'), article usage ('a air pollution'), and tense inconsistencies ('I used plastic bags... which is make by plastic'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma placement and spacing. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and ensuring that your verb forms and articles are used correctly before attempting more complex structures.

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

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