Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

In recent times, many individuals prefer to use plastic things such as bags, containers, plastic packing and so on. There are several issues, which can impact the environment, and animals. What should be done by humans and authorities to prevent this problem. Both aspects will be discussed in the following paragraphs.

At first, nowadays many small businesses, local people and other produce shops are using plastic for many purposes. The main problem of using plastic, which can directly affect our animals and small species. It can be very harmful for them, if they consume any plastic from garbage or anywhere from the floor, it can be kill them in some scenarios. Second drawback is our environment. It will also damage air pollution as well. For instance, University of Windsor has revealed the data of air quality of Ontario province, as it has very low AQI before 2019.

However, there are various things, which can solve this issue gradually. The primary thing that government should announce to stop selling plastic bags, bottles, and everything that contains plastic stuff. Other than that, authorities should start charging to big business for using plastic stuff. Lastly, as a person everyone should understand the harmful effect on our environment, and everybody must stop using plastic stuff in their daily life.

In summary, every trouble comes with solution. there are so many disadvantages of using plastic, as it will destroy our environment, and it can be harmful for animals and species. In order to solve this issue, government should take some serious steps towards businesses, and people must not use plastic in their daily life to save our environment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the environmental damage caused by plastic and potential solutions from governments and individuals. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of how plastic affects animals is brief, and the mention of air quality in Ontario lacks a clear link to plastic pollution, making the argument feel slightly disconnected. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your points with more specific, logical explanations. For example, instead of just stating that plastic harms animals, you could explain the process of ingestion and the long-term impact on ecosystems. The position is clear, but the supporting evidence needs more depth to fully satisfy the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices such as 'At first', 'However', and 'In summary' to signal transitions. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly unnatural. For example, 'At first' is not the most appropriate way to introduce the first body paragraph; 'Firstly' or 'To begin with' would be better. Additionally, some sentences within paragraphs feel slightly disjointed, and the flow between ideas could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence logically follows the previous one will enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'consume', 'garbage', and 'authorities'. However, the vocabulary is often repetitive, particularly the frequent use of 'plastic stuff' and 'plastic things'. To improve, you should aim for more precise and varied terminology, such as 'synthetic materials', 'non-biodegradable waste', or 'single-use plastics'. There are also some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'produce shops' instead of 'grocery stores' or 'retailers'. Expanding your vocabulary to include more academic and topic-specific collocations will help you achieve a higher score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this level. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally affect the clarity of your writing. For example, 'it can be kill them' should be 'it can kill them', and 'it will also damage air pollution' is logically incorrect; you likely meant 'it contributes to air pollution'. There are also issues with article usage and sentence fragments, such as 'What should be done by humans and authorities to prevent this problem', which is written as a question rather than a statement. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and refining your complex sentence construction will help improve your accuracy.

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

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