Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-20

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)

Plastic consumtion has been increased nowdays through various methods like plastic bottles & bags .Also it is usedfor packaging a lot . It causes damage to the enviroment directly & indirectly . To solve this issue government & individuals can take necessary actions together .

This essay will cover both the causes and solutions to this problem .

One of the main issue is the rise in soil polution due to increased usage of plastic . Plastic items can not be discard as these are non - biodegradable products . These can stay for longer in the soil once put in dig in soil to discard . It affects the fertility of soil is decreasing and cause soil pollution .

Another major concern is air pollution. Plastic products cannot be discarded directly . People usually prefer to discard plastic in open air using fire substances.This plastic produce harmful gases which then mixed into the open air . With this quality of air is decreasing day by day and gives birth to air pollution .

Government can take necessary actions to control this .Plastic should be banned in the market . Supply of the plastics products such as bags, bottles can be stopped and proper fines can be imposed for those who buy and sell plastic prosucts even in the local markets or at bigger malls .With this way it can be controlled to a maximum limit .

On the otherside individuals themselves also can reduce usage of platic products .Like by using resusage of bags for shopping , groceries and all other purposes .Also by refilling water bottels instead of buying the plastic ones. With this rhe consumption of plastic products can be reduces .

In conclusion ,although plastic products are affecting enviroment day by day ,but this situation can be controlled by goverments and individuals through necessary measures .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing the damage plastic does to the environment (soil and air pollution) as well as proposing solutions for both governments and individuals. However, the development of ideas remains somewhat superficial. For example, the explanation regarding soil pollution states that plastic is non-biodegradable, but the reasoning and examples lack depth and extension. The introduction of causes is slightly misaligned with the prompt since the question asks about damage rather than causes, but the content successfully shifts to environmental impact. The position is clear throughout, and the main tenets of the prompt are covered, earning a solid Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear paragraph structure separating the introduction, body paragraphs on problems, body paragraphs on solutions, and a conclusion. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. The use of cohesive devices is basic, and some transitional phrases feel abrupt or unnatural, such as 'On the otherside individuals themselves also can reduce usage of platic products'. Referencing is generally clear, but paragraph transitions could be smoother. The progression of ideas is present, as it moves logically from problems to solutions, placing it comfortably in the Band 6.0 range.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, touching upon relevant concepts such as 'non-biodegradable', 'fertility of soil', and 'harmful gases'. However, there are numerous spelling and word-choice errors that detract from the writing, including 'consumtion', 'enviroment', 'polution', 'discard', 'prosucts', and 'resusage'. These errors are noticeable and reflect a limited ability to accurately spell and manipulate less common lexical items. While communication is not impeded, the frequent errors prevent the score from rising above a Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over basic structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, such as missing articles ('rise in soil polution'), subject-verb agreement issues ('This plastic produce'), and awkward phrasing ('once put in dig in soil to discard'). Punctuation is also erratic with irregular spacing around commas and periods. While the meaning remains mostly clear to the reader, the density of grammatical and mechanical errors keeps the response at a Band 5.0.

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