Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-07

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)

Cans, carrier bags and plastic bottles are hazardous to the environment and can lead to disturbances in the ecosystem. Therefore, it can only be solved by joint efforts of the authorities and the general public.

To begin with, marine species can mistakenly eat plastics as food which further leads to a cascading effect. Moreover, several plastics are non-recyclable which can cause environmental pollution and increase in human health risks. In addition, it also slowly releases toxic chemicals into soil and water and make them unfit for cultivation. The Ganga River is the sacred river of India which has faced problems due to plastic waste for instance, the river is polluted with chemicals which making it unfit to drink and leading to death of several people near villages who consume it on a daily basis.

The rising plastic issue is a universal problem which can only be solved by joint efforts where the government has already imposed laws like Single-use Plastic Prohibition Regulations, by restricting the use of plastic related products like straws, cutlery, check-out bags, stir sticks and educating the public to use paper and jute instead. On the other side, general public can also participate by starting to use paper bags for shopping and groceries, avoid buying new plastic water bottles by bringing their own reusable ones and initiating the use of recyclable plastic products.

In a nutshell, the increasing use of plastic products has hazardous effects on animals and ecosystem which can only be resolved through the authorities by implementing relevant laws and by the public by taking care and reducing the usage. This is a universal issue which needs to be solved as early as possible.

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, such as the impact on marine life and the mention of specific regulations. However, the development is somewhat uneven. The example regarding the Ganga River is a strong attempt at supporting the argument, but the explanation of the 'cascading effect' is brief. To reach a higher band, you should expand on the 'why' and 'how' of your points with more depth. The position is clear throughout, and the conclusion effectively summarizes the main points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Moreover', 'In addition', and 'In a nutshell' to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. For instance, the transition between the environmental damage and the government solutions could be more sophisticated. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and each paragraph has a clear central topic, which helps the overall progression of your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'hazardous', 'cascading effect', 'prohibition', and 'cultivation'. There are some minor inaccuracies in collocation, such as 'initiating the use of recyclable plastic products' (which is slightly unnatural) and 'make them unfit' (should be 'making them unfit'). While you attempt to use less common vocabulary, the precision is not always consistent. To improve, focus on learning collocations—words that naturally go together—to ensure your writing sounds more natural and professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader, such as 'the river is polluted with chemicals which making it unfit' (should be 'which makes it unfit') and 'the authorities by implementing' (which is a fragment). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. You should focus on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your complex sentences are grammatically complete. Proofreading for small errors like missing articles or incorrect verb forms would be highly beneficial.

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

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