Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-08

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 pollution is a growing concern these days. It is damaging not only the environment but also marine life. It is very hazardous and wreaks havoc not only in the developed countries but also in the under developed countries. It has become a Gordian knot intertwined with industries, single used plastic and plastic packaging.

Plastic pollution is very detrimental for the environment and causes a lot of damage. The main reason behind this is that it takes thousands of years to degenerate . Another striking factor is the single use plastic that accumulates not only on the grounds and landfills but also under water in the bottom of rivers and seas. The marine animals eat this plastic which causes their death. There are many news about this sad incident that a lot of marine animals has died because of plastic pollution. In Karachi a large whale was found dead on the beach last year due to engulfing plastic. Furthermore, this lost of marine life also causes bad effect for the economy of the country because of decline in fishery industry.

Categorically discussing plastic bags are injurious to health. Many experts has forbidden the use of plastic, because it causes a lot of diseases for instance cancer.

There are a myriad of ways to combat this problem. Firstly, government should levy higher taxes on the use and production of plastic. Only stricter laws can reduce its consumption. Secondly, this problem should be addressed on national level so that people could take inspiration to reduce plastic consumption, specially single used plastic.

To recapitulate, it is obvious that plastic pollution is escalating increasingly, therefore it is the duty of government and individuals to put their best foot forward to reduce this menace.

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. The ideas are relevant, such as the impact on marine life and the suggestion of higher taxes. However, the development is somewhat uneven. While the example of the whale in Karachi is specific and effective, the discussion on health impacts is brief and lacks sufficient elaboration. The position is clear throughout, but the essay would benefit from a more thorough exploration of the 'individual' role, which is currently overshadowed by the focus on government intervention. Overall, it meets the requirements of the task well.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Firstly', and 'To recapitulate' are used to guide the reader. However, there are instances where the flow is slightly mechanical, and some transitions could be more sophisticated. Referencing is generally clear, though some sentences feel slightly disconnected due to repetitive sentence structures. The progression of ideas is logical, moving from the problem to the consequences and finally to the solutions, which ensures the reader can follow the argument without difficulty.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, including some effective collocations like 'Gordian knot', 'wreaks havoc', and 'put their best foot forward'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'degenerate' (where 'decompose' or 'biodegrade' would be more precise) and 'lost of marine life' (should be 'loss'). Additionally, 'single used plastic' is a slight misuse of the common term 'single-use plastic'. Despite these minor errors, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning clearly and shows an attempt to use less common lexical items.

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 several grammatical errors that persist throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues such as 'a lot of marine animals has died' (should be 'have died') and 'Many experts has forbidden' (should be 'have forbidden'). There are also minor punctuation and article errors, such as 'in the under developed countries' and 'on national level'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band score. More attention to subject-verb agreement and article usage is recommended.

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