Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-12

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)

In this contemporary world, the use of plastic has become a severe challenge to our environment. It is a well known fact that plastic products like bags, bottles, and packaging are harmful for the planet. In this essay, we would discuss the damage from pastic and how we can save our planet from a plastic related disaster.

To start with, plastic is a non-biodegradable material, which means it does not decompose and would stay on ground as a waste for infinite period of time. As per an environmental report from United Nations, Earth has around 567 metric tonnes of plastic waste which is equivalent to the combined landmass of Texas and California. This has significant effects on ocean health. Moreover, this waste infects animals in oceans as well as land which in return causes health hazards for humans.

On the other hand, plastic is not yet banned world wide and still produced in tons every year. In my opinion, governments should take immediate steps to prohibit the use of plastic permanently. Furthermore, as individuals we are also responsible, we should avoid using plastic and recycle it after every use. If we can reduce the demand then supply and production of plastic would eventually come to a halt. Additionally, government should invest more towards research and findinding ways to decompose this waste present on the planet.

To encapsulate, I reiterate that our planet is not far from a bio-hazard due to extensive use of plastic. Unless steps are taken to stop the manufacturing of plastic products, it is anticipated that many animal species might go extinct from this globe.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt. It investigates the environmental damage caused by plastic, citing its non-biodegradable nature and its impact on marine and terrestrial life. It also explores solutions, suggesting government bans, research into decomposition, and individual action such as recycling and reducing demand. A clear position is maintained throughout the essay. The ideas are well-developed, supported by a reference to a United Nations environmental report, which meets the criteria for Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay presents a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information and ideas are grouped into logical paragraphs: an introduction, a body paragraph dedicated to environmental damage, a body paragraph focusing on solutions, and a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'To start with', 'Moreover', 'On the other hand', and 'Additionally'. However, there is some mechanical referencing and a minor typo ('pastic'), which points securely to Band 6.5 or a solid Band 7, but given the clear progression, it sits comfortably at Band 7.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 'non-biodegradable', 'decompose', 'marine', and 'bio-hazard'. There are attempts to use less common items with general awareness of style and collocation, though minor spelling errors occur, such as 'pastic' in the introduction and 'findinding' in the third paragraph. These errors do not impede communication, allowing the response to achieve a Band 6.5, rounded to a stable Band 6 based on the lexical control shown.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over conditional structures ('If we can reduce the demand then supply and production of plastic would eventually come to a halt') and relative clauses. There are some minor grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'stay on ground' instead of 'stay on the ground', missing articles ('government should invest'), and 'world wide' as two words. However, these errors rarely impede communication and the punctuation is generally sound, which fits the Band 6 descriptor well.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.