Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-29

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)

Plastic has out grown its use cases recently. Due to complex structure it is not degradable which affects environment. There are number of steps governments and individuals can take to stop plastics damage nature.

First of all, Plastics when left on the ground does not degrade like plants, instead they leave there as it is. For instance, many people have found plastic pacakagings from soil even after 50 to 70 years intact in original form. Moreover, when it is unhandled and consumed by animals or aquatic wildlife, they cause serious health issues which leads them to death. Many marine researchers have recently discovered fishes like sharks have consumed plastics, which caused their death.

Another major issue is micro-plastics which are formed while cutting. They are uneasy to spot inside food items and can be stuck in human body. There are many recent studies which show human body is showing signs of micro-plastics being inside the body.

To resolve the impact on environment, governments should take some strict actions, such as fine heavily at public places if someone does not recycle their plastic wastes as well as restricting the production of non-degradable materials and promoting the use of recyclable materials. Individuals can also take some precausious measures including use of paper or cloth bags while shopping. They can also dispose wastes separately such as wet waste, recycle and garbage. It makes easier for waste collectors to ensure plastics are recycled instead of releasing them into nature.

In conclusion, environment is our responsibility and we need to take care of it, especially by not damaging by plastics. We must take required actions to protect and change our lifestyle.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying environmental damage (non-degradability, harm to wildlife, micro-plastics) and proposing solutions for both governments and individuals. The ideas are relevant and generally well-supported. However, some points could be developed further; for instance, the explanation of how micro-plastics enter the human body is a bit brief. The position is clear throughout, and the structure follows a logical progression that covers the requirements of the task effectively. To reach a higher band, ensure that the link between the problem and the proposed solution is more explicitly detailed in the body paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. The use of cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion' helps guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and there are occasional issues with referencing, such as 'they leave there as it is', which lacks a clear antecedent. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the problem from the solutions. The flow of ideas is generally smooth, though the connection between sentences could be more sophisticated to improve the overall cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'non-degradable', 'aquatic wildlife', and 'micro-plastics'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'out grown its use cases' and 'precausious measures' (a misspelling of 'precautionary'). The range is sufficient for the task, but the lack of more precise or sophisticated lexical items limits the score. Improving the accuracy of word forms and expanding the range of collocations would enhance the quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('Plastics... does not degrade') and article usage ('the environment' vs 'environment'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some awkward phrasings that slightly impede the flow. The complexity of the sentences is limited, and the errors, while not preventing understanding, occur frequently enough to keep the score in the 6.0 range. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical consistency would be highly beneficial.

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