Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-17

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 7.0)

Plastic is widely used for bags, bottles and packaging despite being considered harmful to the environment. It degrades at a very slow rate, thereby increasing landfill waste and damaging the ecosystem by entering the food chain. These issues can be efficiently mitigated by enforcing strict laws, increasing awareness and with deliberate community efforts to limit its use.

Plastic use has detrimental effects on the environment and fragile ecosytems. Since it can take hundreds of years to degrade in the landfills, it increases the demand of land being used for plastic waste disposal. Moreover, plastic in the land and ocean can form microplastic residues, and when ingested by marine animals, they can enter the food chain and may cause harm marine creatures. For instance, careless plastic use in India has significantly deteriorated marine life in coastal regions. Therefore, plastic use today will continue to harm the environment for many more years to come.

Both governments and individuals should work in collaboration to protect the environment from the adverse effects of plastic. The authorities should introduce strict laws on plastic use and impose heavy penalties on those who violate such laws, along with raising awareness on its negative effects. This might motivate businesses to stop using plastic completely. For example, the Indian government has banned the use of plastic bags in Himachal Pradesh to protect fragile ecosystem of the Himalayas. Furthermore, individuals should also adopt eco-friendly alternatives such as reusable water bottles to reduce plastic consumption. These smaller conscious efforts at a community level usually have a larger impact when adopted globally.

In conclusion, careless plastic consumption has created a formidable situation. While it can generate substantial non-biodegradable waste, enter the food chain and harm the wildlife, its harmful effects can be addressed efficiently if governments enforce strict laws and individuals adopt sustainable alternatives.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the task prompt. It clearly identifies the environmental damage caused by plastic, specifically discussing slow degradation rates, landfill accumulation, and microplastic damage within the food chain. Furthermore, it comprehensively outlines solutions for both governments and individuals, suggesting strict laws, penalties, awareness campaigns, and the adoption of reusable alternatives. The position is clear throughout the essay, and ideas are well-developed with relevant examples, such as the plastic bag ban in Himachal Pradesh. The response meets all the requirements for a Band 7.5 or 8 task response profile, maintaining strong focus and development.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay displays clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus: introduction, environmental damage, solutions, and conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Therefore', and 'Furthermore' are used effectively to connect ideas without being overly mechanical. Paragraphing is managed logically and appropriately. Referencing is generally clear, though occasional minor slip-ups in pronoun referencing, such as 'when ingested by marine animals, they can enter', create slight ambiguity regarding whether 'they' refers to the animals or the microplastics. Overall, cohesion is well handled and maintains a smooth flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient and flexible range of vocabulary suited to the topic of environmental protection. Less common lexical items are used appropriately, including 'non-biodegradable waste', 'eco-friendly alternatives', 'formidable situation', and 'ecosystems'. There are occasional slight inaccuracies in word choice or collocation, such as 'increase the demand of land being used' (instead of 'demand for land') and 'harm marine creatures' (instead of 'harm to marine creatures'). However, spelling and word choice errors are rare and do not impede communication, supporting a solid Band 7 performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The writer showcases a good variety of complex structures alongside simple sentence forms. Examples of successful complex structures include 'Since it can take hundreds of years to degrade in the landfills, it increases the demand...' and 'While it can generate substantial non-biodegradable waste... its harmful effects can be addressed efficiently if...'. Control of grammar and punctuation is generally good, and frequent error-free sentences are produced. Minor slips occur, such as a slight typo in 'ecosytems' and the previously mentioned pronoun ambiguity. These occasional errors do not impede communication, demonstrating strong Band 7 control.

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.