Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-30

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 6.0)

Now a days, our environment suffers from plastic packaging and plastic bags, plastic does a great damage to the planet. In this essay, the actions how to solve the plastic problem will be mentioned and what can be done to lower the use of plastic packaging will be discussed.

Firstly, plastic products are usually thrown under the ground , so that it is able to cause ground pollution , the soil becomes poor. It is one of the reasons why trees and plants do not grow as they used to fifty years ago. Secondly, production of plastic causes air pollution. Factories that produce plastic bags, packaging and other plastic products emmit exhaust fumes to the atmosphere. All of the facts mentioned can prove that plastic pollution plays the leading role in the list of environmental problems.

What pollution abutement can be done to lower the risk of Earth damaging? First, plastic bags can be changed to bags made of natural materials like clothes of wood. To realize this, factories should lower the production of plastic bags and change them to more natural products. Moreover, the problem of ground pollution because of plastic production should be discussed in social media to let people know the scope of plastic problem . Second, already used plastic can be recycled in other products. There is a Russian programm of recycling plastic into T-shirts, caps and even balls for football and basketball.

In conclusion, I would like to say that, nowadays peole appear as the main reason of environmental problems, the manufacturing of plastic products increases the risk of the further Earth life. Everything should be done to lower the risk of destroying the planet.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by identifying the environmental damage caused by plastic, such as ground and air pollution, and suggesting solutions involving governments and individuals. The introduction clearly outlines what will be discussed, and the body paragraphs present relevant ideas regarding recycling programs and the reduction of plastic production. However, some ideas are slightly under-developed; for instance, the suggestion about social media awareness is stated without much extension. Examples are provided, such as the Russian program for recycling plastic into T-shirts and footballs, which adds relevant detail. The position is clear throughout, and the scope of the task is adequately covered, aligning well with the descriptors for a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a logical progression of ideas, moving from the definition of the problem to environmental impacts, and finally to solutions and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different stages of the argument. Cohesive devices are employed to link ideas, such as "Firstly", "Secondly", and "Moreover", though some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. Referencing is generally clear, for example, "All of the facts mentioned can prove that...", which helps tie the discussion together. While cohesion is not always seamless, the organizational structure is clear enough to meet the Band 6.0 criteria.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terms like "environmental problems", "ground pollution", "air pollution", and "recycling". There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as "pollution abutement", though this contains a spelling error. Other lexical inaccuracies appear, such as "clothes of wood" instead of wooden or plant-based materials, and "programm". However, these errors do not impede communication, and the vocabulary remains minimally sufficient to convey the intended meaning, matching the standard for a Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as conditional or relative clauses like "Factories that produce plastic bags... emmit exhaust fumes to the atmosphere." There are several grammatical errors and punctuation slips throughout the text, including "Now a days", spelling of "emmit", "Earth damaging", and "peole". Additionally, phrasing like "the actions how to solve" is awkward. Despite these errors, the majority of simple sentences are clear, and the mistakes rarely impede communication, placing the grammatical control securely at Band 6.0.

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

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