Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-30
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 5.0)
Consumer's food containers which consists different kind of plastics that are harmful for the surroundings. It put bad effect on the nature such as pollution and creates danger conditions for living species in water.It could be solved by the usage of Eco-friendly materials instead of plastics and by creating awareness camps among individuals.
The first and foremost Ecological degradation is that plastics are not safe in any manner because most of people when throw their trash in lakes and canals it mix with water and that water is utilize for drinking purpose in some areas which are not safe to drink for humans as well as for animals. Moreover, it hurts those species who are living in seas, oceans because lakes are directly connected with seas. Apart from it, plastic bags or packaging materials are burnt by the many individuals and smoke gets mix in the air which creates a air pollution for the environment which also causes for some diseases such as difficulty in breathing or lungs illness.
The most prominent solution is that authorities should reduce the manufacturing of plastic materials. They should increase the utilization of Eco-friendly products which are not harmful for the environment such as instead of plastic bags they can add jute bags. Furthermore
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which significantly impacts the development of ideas. While you identify the environmental damage caused by plastic and suggest solutions, the arguments are underdeveloped and the essay ends abruptly mid-sentence. To achieve a higher band, you must provide more detailed explanations and examples for each point. The current length prevents a full exploration of the prompt, leading to a fragmented response. Ensure you expand on your reasoning and provide a clear conclusion to fully address all parts of the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay shows some attempt at logical organization, with separate paragraphs for the problem and the solution. However, the progression is hindered by the incomplete nature of the text. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'The first and foremost' and 'Moreover', but they are sometimes used mechanically. The abrupt ending at 'Furthermore' indicates a lack of control over the structure of the essay. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and a complete, logical flow of ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for basic communication but lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. You use some relevant terms like 'Ecological degradation' and 'manufacturing', but there are frequent errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'creates danger conditions' instead of 'creates dangerous conditions' and 'smoke gets mix' instead of 'smoke mixes'. The range is limited, and you rely on simple phrasing. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to environmental issues and ensure correct word forms are used.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'Consumer's food containers which consists' (subject-verb agreement error), 'most of people when throw their trash' (missing articles and awkward syntax), and 'it mix with water' (verb tense/agreement). The sentence structures are mostly simple, and attempts at complex sentences are often faulty. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and sentence construction. Proofreading for these common errors will help improve the overall accuracy of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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