Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-22

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 has become an integral part of modern life because it is inexpensive, lightweight and versatile. However, the widespread use of plastic bags, bottles and packaging has created serious environmental problems. This essay will discuss the main damage caused by plastic and suggest measures that governments and individauls can take to address it.

One of the most significant environmental impacts of plastic is its persistence in nature. Unlike organic materilas, most of plastic products take decades or even centuries to break down. Consequently, enormous quantities of plastic waste accumulate in landfills and natural environments. A particularly serious problem is the pollution of oceans and rivers. Plastic waste can be ingested by marine animals or cause them to become trapped, often resulting in injury or death. Furthermore, as larher pieces of plastic gradually fragment, they form microplastics, which can enter food chains and potentially affect ecosystems and human health. Another concern is that producing and disposing of plastic requires substantial energy and, when plastic is incinerated, can release harmful emissions.

Governments can tackle this problem through a combination of legislation, financial incentives and investment in waste management. For example, they can impose chardes or taxes on single-use plastic bags and packaging, while requiring manufactures to reduce unnecessary plastic and povide recyclable alternatives. Governments should also improve recycling infrastructure and public eduaction so that peple understand how to dispose of waste responsiblity. Individuals, meanwhile, can make a considerable contribution by carrying reusable shopping bags and water bottles, avoiding unnecessary packaging and seperating recyclable materials from general waste. Although these actions may appear insignificant individually, their cumulative effect can be substamtil when adapted by millions of people.

In conclusion, plastic pollution damages ecosystems, threatens wildlife and contributes to the accumulation of persistent waste. Governments should regulate single-use plastics and strengthen recycling systems, while individuals should reduce their dependance on disposable products. A combination of these measures to limit the environmental consequences of plastic consumption.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The student fully addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both the environmental damage caused by plastic (such as persistence in nature, ocean pollution, and microplastics) and proposing viable solutions for both governments and individuals. The position is clear throughout the essay, and ideas are well-developed and supported with relevant examples like charges on single-use bags and reusable alternatives. The response demonstrates a thorough understanding of the task requirements without any omissions or irrelevant tangents.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organised with a clear progression from introduction to body paragraphs discussing damage and solutions, and concluding with a summary. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each main idea grouped logically. Cohesive devices such as 'Consequently', 'Furthermore', and 'Meanwhile' are managed well to guide the reader through the arguments. Referencing is generally clear, and although there are minor mechanical transitions, overall cohesion is strong and supports the flow of ideas effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient to wide range of vocabulary appropriate for discussing environmental issues, including terms such as 'persistence in nature', 'cumulative effect', 'infrastructure', and 'incinerated'. There are some spelling and typographical errors, such as 'materilas', 'larher', 'chardes', 'manufactures', 'eduaction', 'peple', 'responsiblity', 'seperating', and 'dependance', which prevent the score from being higher. However, the lexical range remains adequate to convey precise meanings without impeding overall communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay displays a good variety of complex sentence structures, such as conditional and participial clauses ('Although these actions may appear insignificant individually, their cumulative effect can be substantial...'). There is good control of grammar and punctuation overall. A minor grammatical slip occurs in the final sentence ('A combination of these measures to limit the environmental consequences'), which lacks a main verb. However, the majority of sentences are error-free, and communication is never impeded.

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

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