Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-02

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)

now a days Plastic pollution become more serious issue which puts harmful effect on the environment. i will explain the damage which happen due to plastic along with some suggestion in upcoming paragraphs.

First of all, as we know that plastic is not biodegradable which is which creates many kind of pollution like water pollution because people throw the plastic in rives and ponds, Soil pollution cause some people put dough and dump plastic in it which decrease the fertility of soil. It can harmful for animal which are wondering around the street because sometime they can eat that plastic bag which can cause death for that animal.

There are some intiatives that can be taken by the government, the need ban the use of plastic and can find alternative which is reusable and biodegradable which can people use instead of plastic. individuals play an equal role as govt. because people can avoid use of plastic when they are going for shopping. for example, people can get carry bag from their home because it can help to reduce the use of plastic

in conclusion, i can suggest that people and govt both are responsible for that cause, they can work together to reduce the use of plastic

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt, identifying environmental damage and suggesting solutions. However, the ideas are under-developed and lack sufficient detail or depth. The response is also significantly under the 250-word minimum, which limits the ability to fully extend and support the arguments. The explanation of environmental damage is brief, and the suggestions for governments and individuals are somewhat generic. To improve, you should aim to provide more specific examples and elaborate on the consequences and solutions to meet the length requirement and demonstrate a more thorough understanding of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs is abrupt. There is a lack of variety in linking words, and some sentences feel disconnected. To improve, try using a wider range of cohesive devices such as 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'in light of this' to create a smoother flow between ideas and sentences. Ensuring each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would also improve the overall logical progression.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There are several instances of repetitive or imprecise word choices, such as 'harmful effect' and 'some suggestion'. Some collocations are also unnatural, such as 'put dough and dump plastic'. To improve, focus on using more sophisticated vocabulary related to environmental issues, such as 'non-biodegradable', 'ecosystem', 'mitigate', or 'sustainable alternatives'. Expanding your range of synonyms will help you avoid repetition and express your ideas with greater clarity and impact.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('Plastic pollution become'), article usage ('the government' vs 'govt'), and sentence structure. Many sentences are simple or contain errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading, such as 'which is which creates'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing commas and incorrect capitalisation. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence structures and proofreading for common errors like verb tense consistency and article usage. Incorporating more complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses or conditional sentences, would also help demonstrate a wider grammatical range.

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