Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-03

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)

It is a harsh reality that plastic wastage is tremendously destroying the environment in many ways. It is polluting rivers and oceans, animals and birds. In my opinion government should take strict actions by imposing heavy fines and people should be responsible for not littering their surroundings.

The main cause of this problem is that plastic is not discarded properly. This means that poor management of plastic wastage lead to destroying the environment in several ways. First of all, the plastic bags, bottles are polluting oceans and rivers as it can be engulfed by the fishes, turtles birds. Also, animals and birds can get trapped and it can injure them badly. For example, the mircoplastic is getting mixed through the soil and it enters in food and can lead to cancer and various diseases.

This issue can be tackle with proper planning and plotting if government and people work together to solve this issue. Authorities should fine people if they are littering and throwing plastic anywhere such as in public places of rivers. Secondly, they should manage waste properly by putting waste management garbage bins at public areas such as public parks, beaches, and schools. Furthermore, folks should be responsible to keep the planet clean and green. They should discard the plastic wastage in recycling bins and should use eco-friendly bags and bottles.

To conclude, plastic wastage can harm environment badly and it this problem can solved if the government and people work together to eradicate the issue entirely to save the planet.

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. The position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of how microplastics enter the food chain is a good start but lacks depth. Similarly, the solutions provided are relevant but could be expanded with more specific examples or a more detailed explanation of how these measures would effectively mitigate the problem. The essay meets the requirements of the task, but the supporting arguments remain at a somewhat general level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. There is a clear introduction, body paragraphs for the problem and solutions, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'Also', 'Secondly', and 'Furthermore' are used to link ideas. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and there are instances where the flow could be smoother. For example, the transition between the impact on animals and the mention of microplastics is slightly abrupt. Overall, the progression of ideas is coherent, and the paragraphing is appropriate for the task.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate ideas clearly. There are some attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'microplastic', 'eradicate', and 'eco-friendly'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'plastic wastage' (plastic waste is more standard) and 'planning and plotting' (which is an unusual collocation in this context). The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning, but it lacks the precision and sophistication required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include 'government should take' (needs an article: 'the government'), 'lead to destroying' (should be 'leads to the destruction of'), 'can be tackle' (should be 'can be tackled'), and 'it this problem can solved' (a clear error in sentence construction). These errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. More attention to subject-verb agreement and passive voice construction would improve the accuracy.

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

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