Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-12

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)

There are certain things made of plastics like plastic bags, plastic bottles and plastic packaging all have detrimental impacts on the environment. The following paragraphs of this essay will highlights the environmental damages in results of use of plastics and also discuss the measures which an individual and government should take to solve this issue.

The plastic has many deteriorating effects on the environment, first and foremost bad effect is that it causes a pollution in the surroundings on a larger scale which leads to harmful impact on living things. Moreover, people are taking polluted air through a respiration process because of plastic pollution in air. For example, the wildlife is at risk of death because of increasing ratio of pollution in the environment. Thus, this plastic damages our ecosystem, human life and wildlife enormously.

Another significant damage occurs to marine life due to improper disposal of waste into oceans. Additionally, the larger number of fishes or other livings in oceans are becoming reduce due to this plastic pollution in the sea. For instance, in some countries people are dispose of their plastic wastes like plastic bottles or bags directly into the rivers which negatively effects the marine creatures. As a result living things in the water is also affected by the plastic wastes.

Furthermore, there are several steps which government and individual should takes to protect our lives from pollution due to plastic wastes. Firstly, the state makes strict rules and regulation about the plastic recycling and also it should improve the disposal system in a country. Secondly, an individual should properly dispose their plastic fitters in a large dustbins. In addition to this the government should educate the population about the harmful effects of pollution.

In conclusion, plastic wastes have negative impact on the ecosystem and on other living organisms. So, the government and people should play positive role in reducing this problem by taking some effective measures.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the question: it identifies harm to the wider environment and marine life, then proposes government and individual actions. The examples of plastic entering rivers and threatening wildlife are relevant, and the conclusion restates the need for action. However, some ideas are asserted rather than explained. For example, the claim that plastic pollution in the air causes people to breathe polluted air is not clearly linked to how plastic creates that pollution, while the reduction in fish numbers is not supported with a specific explanation. The proposed measures—recycling rules, better disposal and public education—are appropriate but would benefit from detail about how they would reduce plastic waste. Develop these cause-and-effect links and examples more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, separate paragraphs on environmental and marine damage, a paragraph of solutions, and a conclusion. This makes the main progression easy to follow. Linking expressions such as “Moreover,” “For instance,” and “In conclusion” help signal relationships between ideas, and the two types of environmental harm are usefully separated. To make the organisation more fluent, avoid relying on formulaic transitions and make the links between claims more explicit. For example, the sentence about polluted air follows the point about general pollution without explaining the connection. Some references, such as “this plastic” and “this problem,” are broad; naming the specific effect or issue would make the cohesion more precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses a relevant range of topic vocabulary, including “detrimental impacts,” “ecosystem,” “marine life,” “disposal system,” and “recycling.” These choices show an attempt to discuss the issue beyond basic terms. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, which limits precision: “larger number of fishes … are becoming reduce,” “plastic fitters,” and “pollution in the surroundings” do not express the intended ideas clearly. There is also repetition of “plastic pollution” and “environment.” Aim for accurate, natural combinations and use more specific terms for waste and its effects. For instance, distinguish between plastic litter, air pollution from burning plastic, and plastic waste entering waterways.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

There is an attempt to use both simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “because,” “which,” and “due to.” The overall meaning is generally understandable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity and control. Examples include “will highlights,” “an individual and government should takes,” and “the larger number … are becoming reduce,” where verb forms or agreement are incorrect. Articles and plural forms also need attention, as in “causes a pollution” and “living things in the water is.” Review subject–verb agreement and verb patterns after modal verbs, and check each sentence for singular/plural consistency. More accurate control of these structures would make the ideas easier to read.

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