Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-05

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)

Nowadays, people have been using plastic almost everywhere whether it is related to clothing, toys, and in their daily life. The products made with plastic for instance bags, bottles and for packaging the stuff are dangerous for the environment. The negative effects of using plastic for the environment and what measures can be taken by the Government to resolve this issue will be discussed in the following paragraphs with the relevant examples.

To commence with, there are several things that have been disrupted in the environment with the use of plastic.

the first and foremost thing that have been compromised is the marine life because many people throw plastic bags, bottles, and plastic containers and the micro plastics get mixed with the water that makes the sea water polluted. Which disturbs the sea life and results in extinction of sea animals for instance, dolphins and many more.

Furthermore, when people throw plastic material in their surroundings then there is a huge risk of mixing plastic with the soil that decreases the fertility of soil.

Moving towards the solution of the given trend, The Government may implement rules and regulations to use the plastic material with the proper guidelines. For instance, the higher authorities may set a particular amount of fine on the people who do not follow the rules that help to make the environment more clean and green. As a result individuals might be started to show care for the environment. Moreover, the Government may introduces new products with made up of biodegradable such as paper. So that people may choose the paper bags and glass bottles over plastic material that do not put any negative impact on the environment. Consequently, It reduces the use of plastic that will be beneficial for our surroundings.

To conclude, although plastic damages the environment whether it is by increasing water pollution or soil pollution,

it can be solve by the Government by taking measurable actions. For instance, by fines.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, identifying environmental damage and suggesting solutions for both governments and individuals. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For example, the explanation of soil fertility is brief and lacks depth. While the position is clear, the supporting arguments could be more thoroughly extended to reach a higher band. The inclusion of examples, such as dolphins and biodegradable materials, helps to support the main points, but the overall response would benefit from more detailed analysis of the consequences and the effectiveness of the proposed solutions.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To commence with', 'Furthermore', and 'Moving towards', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. There are occasional issues with sentence-level cohesion, such as the fragmented sentence starting with 'Which disturbs the sea life'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the problem from the solution, which helps the reader follow the argument. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, but the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that sentences are connected more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'biodegradable', 'marine life', and 'micro plastics'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'disrupted in the environment' instead of 'disrupted the environment' and 'made up of biodegradable' instead of 'made of biodegradable materials'. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the message, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Improving the use of collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing would enhance the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'things that have been disrupted', 'Government may introduces') and article usage. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some sentences starting with lowercase letters or being incorrectly fragmented. While the writer attempts complex structures, these often contain errors that slightly impede the flow. To improve, the writer should focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed with greater accuracy.

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