Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-13

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)

In recent years, the use of plastic utensils has been harmful to the natural surroundings and has attracted considerable attention. This situation raises important questions regarding environmental degradation by plastic waste and, to solve this problem, how governments and people can contribute. This essay will address these issues in turn.

One of the main reasons why plastic affects nature is that plastics are made from synthetic polymers, as a result, it cannot be reduced through the recycling process or be time-consuming. Nowadays, the modern generation believes that using disposable items is easy to carry and throw away anywhere. As a result, individuals throw garbage near rivers, on land, and in the ocean, which causes pollution. After that, it harms marine life and wildlife. Another contributing factor is that companies manufacture plastic, which contains hazardous substances that may pose a threat to human health and cause environmental pollution.

To deal with this issue, governments should pass a law against unsafe plastic, which is prohibited in the country. One effective approach would be for citizens to protect their nation by reducing the use of plastic bags, bottles, and packaging, as this helps to protect natural habitats, resources, and soil. Additionally, higher penalties for producing hazardous plastics and improper disposal of plastic waste could play a crucial role in addressing the problem effectively.

In conclusion, the natural beauty of the environment is diminished due to the use of non-recyclable plastics and improper disposal. At the same time, regulations and protections by people would be the most practical way forward.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the question and maintains a clear focus on plastic’s environmental effects and possible solutions. It identifies littering on land and in water, harm to wildlife, and potential risks from hazardous substances, then proposes government regulation, reduced plastic use, and penalties. These are relevant points, but some are not fully explained: for example, the claim that plastic cannot be reduced through recycling is unclear, and the effects on marine life and wildlife are mentioned without showing how they occur. The solutions are also presented broadly, with little detail about how regulations or individual changes would work. Develop each main point with a clearer explanation or a specific example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, a paragraph on environmental damage, a paragraph on solutions, and a conclusion. The progression from causes and effects to responses is easy to follow, and signposts such as “One of the main reasons,” “To deal with this issue,” and “In conclusion” help guide the reader. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent organisation and shows some features of stronger progression. However, linking can feel mechanical, particularly with repeated cause-and-effect transitions such as “As a result” and “After that.” Some references are also unclear, as in “which contains hazardous substances,” where the intended referent could be specified. Use more varied links and make connections between claims explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “environmental degradation,” “synthetic polymers,” “hazardous substances,” “marine life,” and “natural habitats.” These choices show an effort to use less common language, and the meaning is generally understandable. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, however: “plastic utensils” does not represent the bags, bottles, and packaging in the prompt; “reduced through the recycling process” is unclear; and “protect their nation” is not a natural way to describe reducing plastic use. “Natural surroundings” and “natural beauty” also repeat a broad idea rather than naming specific environmental impacts. Aim for precise, natural combinations such as “plastic waste,” “break down,” and “protect ecosystems.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response includes both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “which causes pollution” and a conditional-style explanation beginning “as this helps to protect…”. Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, but some grammatical errors and awkward constructions remain. In “plastics are made from synthetic polymers, as a result, it cannot be reduced,” the comma joins two independent clauses, and the pronoun does not agree with plural “plastics.” The phrase “or be time-consuming” also lacks a clear grammatical connection to the preceding idea. In “a law against unsafe plastic, which is prohibited,” the relative clause creates an unclear structure. Separate linked clauses with appropriate punctuation and check agreement and clause structure.

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