Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-06

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)

Plastic bags, bottles and packaging are detrimental to the environment. I agree with this conclusion; this is because plastic substances, if ingested in any form, can cause cancer to humans, and if not properly disposed of after use, can result in the loss of marine life. I believe the government and individuals can make awareness about proper use and disposal of plastic substances and limit the use of plastic substance.

Plastics have been regarded as one of the leading causes of cancer in the world. It is estimated that over 3 Million cancer patients in Nigeria, developed cancer from the use of plastic. For example, in a recent report by doctors in the University Teaching Hospital Ibadan, people are adviced against the use of plastic due to the fact that it causes cancer. Furthermore, Fishes and other marine animals find it difficult to life in water with the inclusion of plastics. It has been duly researched, that many of the plastic substance found in the ocean, streams and open seas, affects marine life negatively.

To resolve this issue, I believe creating awareness by government and individuals about the demerits of the use of plastic bags, bottles and packaging is essential. Government and private individuals can run adverts online, on radio and television stations on the proper use of plastic products. For instance, government agencies responsible for citizens awareness can make radio and Television campaings on state owned stations, while individuals can run advert on Facebook or Instagram. Also, the government can further limit access to plastic products by making laws that will stop people who may not know how to properly use them from getting them, like underage children. While, parents can hide plastic products from their children at home.

In conclusion, I agree that plastic bags, bottles and packaging are bad for the environment, they cause cancer to humans, and kill marine life. However, this situation can be maintain by government and individuals by creating awareness on its proper use and limiting access to plastics.

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 governments and individuals. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. The claim regarding plastic causing cancer is presented as a definitive fact without sufficient nuance, and the suggestion that parents should 'hide plastic products' from children is a weak solution that lacks depth. While the position is clear throughout, the supporting arguments would benefit from more sophisticated reasoning and broader examples beyond the specific context of Nigeria. The response meets the requirements of the task but remains at a general level of discussion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'To resolve this issue', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and there are instances where the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition between the discussion of marine life and the solutions paragraph is abrupt. Referencing is generally clear, but the paragraphing could be more effectively managed to ensure a more sophisticated progression of ideas throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There is some repetition of phrases like 'plastic substances' and 'plastic products'. While the writer attempts to use some topic-specific vocabulary (e.g., 'detrimental', 'marine life', 'demerits'), the range is somewhat limited. There are minor errors in word choice, such as 'find it difficult to life in water' (should be 'live') and 'this situation can be maintain' (should be 'maintained'). To reach a higher band, the student should aim for more varied collocations and precise terminology.

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 frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'people are adviced' (spelling/passive voice error), 'Fishes... find it difficult to life' (verb form error), and 'run advert' (missing article). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some awkward phrasings, such as 'While, parents can hide...'. The student demonstrates an ability to construct complex sentences, but the frequency of errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band score.

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