Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-02

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)

It undeniable that widespread use of plastic products such as bottles, bags and packaging causing earth negatively. it not only degrades earth surface but it invites harm disease and air pollution.

To begin with, consumption of plastic is rapidly increasing among the world. Plastic is often use of food packaging it cause human health and environment. Plastic made from long process of recycle waste which contain bio waste including chemicals. From burning plastics it released major chemicals which damage earth's atsmophear. for example, tiny portion of plastic often Flow into the river throughout ocean it destroy marine life. In addition, Microparticles of plastic often found on sand, food chain and water system.

On the other hand, to commoner this environment crisis every country government should introduce strict law. Firstly, judiciary must impose heavy fine single use of plastic. it will help to recycle it instead of more production. people should use alternative of plastic like cloth bags. rather than utilize plastic packaging they can rely on paper or cloth. for example, in India people introduce bamboo water bottles. made from tree. it is easy for reuse and recycle. Government should encourage this ideas and motivate other people to use other option of plastics. Moreover more focus on recycle process they should increase recycling process method and reuse.

In conclusion, plastic problem damage wildlife, introduce toxic chemical on air as well as food and water, to resolve this government should work to stop this and impose have fine, policy to save the earth.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both the environmental damage caused by plastic and potential solutions involving governments and individuals. However, the development of ideas is uneven. While some points are clear, such as the mention of plastic entering marine life and the introduction of bamboo bottles in India, others remain under-developed or briefly stated, like the recycling process. The position is generally clear throughout, but the lack of thorough elaboration keeps the task response at this level. To reach higher bands, the writer would need to fully extend and support all main ideas with more detailed explanations and concrete examples rather than relying on brief assertions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear structure consisting of an introduction, body paragraphs for problems and solutions, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct themes. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. For instance, transitional phrases like 'To begin with,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In conclusion' are utilized, but internal referencing and logical links between sentences can be unclear, such as the sudden shift from burning plastics to marine life in the first body paragraph. To improve, the writer should ensure smoother transitions between sentences and clarify pronouns and referencing to create a more seamless flow of ideas.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, demonstrating an attempt to incorporate less common items related to the environment, such as 'bio waste,' 'microparticles,' and 'ecosystem.' However, there are noticeable limitations and inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and word formation, such as 'causing earth negatively,' 'consumption of plastic is rapidly increasing among the world,' and 'to commoner this environment crisis.' Spelling and word-form errors, like 'atsmophear' and 'ideas' instead of 'ideals,' occasionally occur but do not severely impede overall communication. To achieve a higher score, the writer needs to expand their lexical range and demonstrate greater precision in word choice and collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The writing features a mix of simple and some complex sentence forms, attempting structures like conditional or relative clauses, though these often contain errors. There are frequent mistakes in basic grammar, including missing auxiliary verbs ('Plastic is often use'), incorrect subject-verb agreement ('it released major chemicals'), article usage ('into the river throughout ocean'), and prepositions inside grammatical patterns. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing capitalisation at the beginning of sentences and fragmented structures. These errors require some effort from the reader to interpret the exact meaning. To progress, the writer should focus on mastering basic sentence construction, verb tenses, and grammatical accuracy across a wider variety of complex structures.

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