Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
Nature plays an important role in the human's life and for there survival. However, some things made by human such as plastic bags, plastic bottles are worst for atmosphere. This essay will discuss the damages and solution in upcoming paragraphs.
To commence with, There are so many cause of this damage. To explain it, Firstly, Soil pollution is the main damage by plastic product waste. Because when the wastage is thrown by people it stays outside for long period of time so it do not decompose. Secondly, Some people burn plastic waste then it produce the harmful gases which pollute the air. Due to this problem people suffer with so many diseases such as asthma, lung infections and difficulty in breathing. For example, one survey done by world health organisation in 2025 claimed that 70% countries got polluted because of plastic production. As a result, these are the damage done by plastic to the environment.
However, Government should do awareness about the wastage and they have to provide the bins. Also governments should implements the new rules to manage plastic productions. Moreover, People should use clothe bags for shopping and glass container to pack stuff.
To conclude, There are so many problems of this but governments and people can do so many things to solve this problems.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the damage caused by plastic and potential solutions. However, the ideas are underdeveloped and lack sufficient detail or depth. The essay is also significantly under the 250-word minimum requirement, which limits the ability to fully develop the arguments. While the main points are relevant, the lack of elaboration and the failure to meet the length requirement prevent a higher score. To improve, you should expand on your points with more specific examples and ensure your response meets the minimum word count to allow for a more comprehensive discussion.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'To commence with', 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Moreover'). There are also issues with referencing and logical flow; for instance, the transition between the damage caused by plastic and the solutions is abrupt. While the overall progression is discernible, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the somewhat simplistic sentence structure impact the coherence of the argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'bad for the environment', 'worst for atmosphere', and 'do some things' lack precision. There are also errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'human's life' instead of 'human life' and 'do awareness' instead of 'raise awareness'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to incorporate a wider range of topic-specific vocabulary and use more precise collocations to express your ideas more effectively.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay relies heavily on simple sentence structures, with few attempts at complex grammar. There are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, such as subject-verb agreement ('it do not decompose', 'it produce the harmful gases') and article usage ('the human's life', 'the wastage'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are persistent throughout the text. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and increasing the variety of your grammatical structures, including the use of subordinate clauses.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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