Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Plastic bags or bottles used by people everyday that has detrimental impact on the environment. In this essay I will discuss the main causes of this issue and recommend some solutions to solve this problem.

The main cause of this problem is pollution. Plastic products take hundreds of years to decompose that is why a large amount of plastic material accumulated on landfills, rivers or oceans. In the long run that also impact on the wildlife and marine life. For example, wild animals like pigs accidentally eat plastic wraps while looking for food in the landfill. That sometimes causes serious injury or death . Moreover, it degrades the air quality and atmosphere . When a lot of plastic burns in open air it release harmful chemicals and gases that result in, serious health problems to humans being.

There are several ways to solve this problem. For governments, authorities can take action against those people who use plastic bags or bottles in excessive amounts. They should set fines for big companies and industries as well as give them more recycle bins. So they can follow three R rule to protect the environment recycle, reuse and reduce. For individuals, people should not rely solely on plastic bags or bottles they can use alternative methods like cloth bags for shopping or steel water bottles for bringing water. This small change can bring a great results .

To conclude, plastic causes pollution and harms animals, land and water. Governments should make stronger rules and improve recycling facilities, while individuals should reduce their use of plastic and recycle more. If everyone works together, the amount of plastic pollution can be reduced.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying environmental damage and suggesting solutions for both governments and individuals. The ideas are relevant, though some points could be developed further. For instance, the explanation of how plastic affects the atmosphere is a bit brief. The position is clear throughout, and the essay follows a logical structure. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is supported with more detailed explanation or specific, nuanced examples rather than general statements. Overall, the task is fulfilled adequately.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Moreover', 'For example', and 'To conclude', which help the reader follow the argument. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. Referencing is generally clear, though some minor improvements in sentence connectivity would enhance the overall progression. The paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to the clarity of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the message clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'decompose', 'landfill', and 'alternative methods'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'accumulated on landfills' (should be 'in') and 'bring a great results' (should be 'bring great results'). To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and less common lexical items to demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary.

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, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('plastic bags or bottles... that has detrimental impact') and article usage ('the three R rule'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing around commas and periods. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy will significantly improve your writing.

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

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