Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-07

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)

Nowadays, the usage of plastic materials in plastic bags, bottles, and packaging has significantly increased throughout the world that affects the environment very badly. Plastic adversly affects the environamnet. The damage to the environment because of plastic usage are discussed in further paragraph including the steps that governement should take to solve this problem.

To begin with, plastic usage has increased in various ways like plastic bags, bottles and in packaging, which affects the environment. Plastic can not dispose easily, it pollutes the air, water, and land, which ultimately affects the environment. Additionally, many companies dispose the plastic by buring it in waste yard, that affects the air. This polluted air is dangerous for human being and results into respiratory diseases like breething issue. Furthermore, plastic is not biodegredable so it pollutes the land too. It affects the plants and trees and results into polluted land and air.

To solve this problem, government can publish the strict law for plastic usage such as, punishment or fine. Government should completely close the factories which use the plastic materials for any purpose, and it should be stricly ban.Government can take serious step towards it. Government can spread the awareness through plays, advertisemnets and camps to the all generations. For example, they can spread the awareness into schools, colleges, and government places by performing scripted play which shows the negavtive effects of plastic usage and how it harms the environment.

To conclude, although usage of plastic bags, bottles and packaging is gradually increasing all around the world but significant changes are necessary to protect the environment from damages. Not only government but also citizens have to take serious steps towards it to completely stop the use of plastic and to save the environment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address both parts of the question: you describe harm to air and land, and suggest government action through fines, restrictions, and awareness campaigns. However, the discussion is only partially developed. The environmental effects are mostly asserted—for example, plastic “pollutes the air, water, and land”—without explaining impacts on wildlife, waterways, or how plastic persists in ecosystems. The proposed response also focuses heavily on government, while the task asks what individuals can do; the conclusion mentions citizens, but gives no practical examples such as reusing bags or sorting waste. Your position is broadly clear, but some ideas remain general. Develop each point with a specific explanation or example and address both governments and individuals more evenly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, a paragraph on environmental damage, a paragraph on solutions, and a conclusion. Sequencing phrases such as “To begin with,” “Additionally,” and “To conclude” help readers follow the main stages. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical, and several sentences repeat the same point about plastic harming the environment rather than advancing the explanation. The opening also promises discussion of government steps but does not signal the individual role. Some links between claims are unclear, such as the move from effects on plants and trees to “polluted land and air.” Improve progression by grouping related effects, using clearer cause-and-effect links, and ensuring each paragraph develops a distinct part of the task.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “respiratory diseases,” “biodegradable,” “factories,” and “awareness.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or repetitive, which can make parts difficult to read. For instance, “publish the strict law” is not a natural way to describe legislation, and “usage of plastic” is repeated frequently where more precise alternatives could be used. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “adversly,” “environamnet,” “buring,” and “advertisemenets.” Build a more accurate set of environmental terms and check spelling carefully; precise vocabulary would help explain the effects and solutions more clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “which” and “although,” and the overall meaning is generally understandable. However, the range is limited, and attempts at longer structures often contain errors. For example, “the damage … are discussed” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “the usage … has significantly increased … that affects” does not form a clear grammatical connection. Other examples include “Government can spread the awareness” and “it should be stricly ban,” where article use and sentence construction need attention. Punctuation and sentence boundaries also need more control, particularly in “it should be stricly ban.Government…” Practise accurate complex sentences and check agreement, verb forms, articles, and punctuation during revision.

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