Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
A clean and pollution-free environment is the basic need of human life. But these days, the environment is getting polluted in many ways, including plastic pollution. Although plastic bags and bottles are essential to human life, they have a very harmful impact on the environment. This essay will elaborate the problems caused be the excessive use of plastic to the environment and possible ways to mitigate the plastic pollution on individual and government basis.
firstly, the plastic bags and bottles takes longer to decompose as compared to organics and other materials. it takes years for the plastics to rot which in results gets accumated on the landfills and rivers and oceans. not only it puts the human life at risk as the microplastics could get into the water and food and harm the human body but also wildlife at risk as well. for example, according to a survey conducted by harvard university in 2019 shows that, every year thousands of sea animals gets killed by plastics consumption as they mistake it with food and consume it.
the solutions for the problems mentioned above is to drastically reduce the use of plastics. the individuals should use the reusable and paper bags instead of plastic bags. it could be really hel
in conclusion, although plastic pollution is a major problem these that, it could be still manageable. both government and individuals should work together to reduce the consumption of plastic.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses both parts of the prompt, identifying environmental damage and suggesting solutions. However, the essay is incomplete, ending abruptly in the third paragraph. Furthermore, the response falls short of the 250-word minimum requirement, which significantly impacts the development of ideas. While the initial position is clear, the lack of a fully developed argument and the unfinished nature of the text mean that the task is only partially addressed. To improve, ensure all sections are fully fleshed out and meet the minimum word count to allow for a comprehensive discussion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay uses basic paragraphing and some cohesive devices like 'firstly' and 'in conclusion'. However, the progression of ideas is interrupted by the incomplete nature of the text. The transition between the problem and the solution is abrupt, and the final paragraph is underdeveloped. Referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure lacks the sophistication required for higher bands. To improve, focus on creating a balanced structure where each paragraph is fully developed and linked logically to the next using a wider range of cohesive devices.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'essential to human life' and 'harmful impact' are functional but lack variety. There are also some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'on individual and government basis' instead of 'on an individual and governmental level'. The range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little attempt to use less common or more precise terminology. Expanding your vocabulary to include topic-specific collocations would help improve your score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, such as 'plastic bags and bottles takes' (subject-verb agreement), 'in results gets accumated' (awkward phrasing/spelling), and 'these that' (likely meant 'these days'). Capitalization is also inconsistent throughout the text. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and sentence construction will be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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