Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-31

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)

Nowadays, people forget about to keep clean their environment. The major miss you of damaging the environment is plastic bottles, plastic bags and plastic packaging. We use them in our daily life but we did not through them in a recycle bin which causes environment pollution

and it is not good for the environment.

In my opinion, we need to fix this problem my stop using plastic bags. The governments should apply a ban on plastic stuff.

We need to use paper bags. Paper bags are good enough to protect the environment.

For example, if we use plastic stuff it will cause many environment damages instead of using paper stuff it will be very helpful to clean out environment. So we need to use paper bags it is the last option for us to clean our environment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 137 words. Consequently, the ideas are significantly underdeveloped. While the essay attempts to address the two parts of the prompt—the damage caused by plastic and potential solutions—the discussion is superficial. For instance, the mention of 'environment damages' lacks specific examples or depth, and the proposed solution of using paper bags is simplistic and lacks a broader perspective on government or individual responsibility. To improve, you must expand your arguments with detailed explanations and concrete examples to meet the length requirement and provide a more comprehensive analysis of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is divided into short, simple paragraphs, but the logical progression of ideas is weak. The transition between the problem and the solution is abrupt. Cohesive devices are minimal and repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'we need to' and 'plastic stuff'. The referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the flow of the argument. To improve, you should use a wider range of linking words (e.g., 'furthermore', 'consequently', 'on the other hand') to connect your ideas more fluidly and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, central topic sentence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive, relying heavily on simple terms like 'plastic stuff', 'good enough', and 'bad'. There are also errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'major miss you' (likely meaning 'major issue') and 'clean out environment'. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to discuss the topic with any degree of precision or sophistication. To improve, you should aim to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to environmental science and sustainability, and focus on using more precise verbs and adjectives to convey your meaning more effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The grammatical range is limited, consisting mostly of simple sentence structures. There are frequent errors in basic grammar, such as 'people forget about to keep clean their environment' and 'we did not through them' (should be 'throw'). Punctuation and sentence construction are often awkward, which occasionally impedes the reader's understanding. To improve, you should practice using a variety of complex sentence structures, such as conditional sentences or relative clauses, and pay closer attention to verb tenses and word forms to reduce the frequency of errors.

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