Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-21

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)

It is widely recognised that plastic material such as bags, bottles and packaging are not good for the environment.The issue has become increasingly common in many part of the world.This essay will discuss the main problems associated with this issue and suggest possible solutions.

There are several problems associated with plastic use and their waste. The most significant is that plastic waste make the soil unproductive and become the reason of accidents on the roads. This is because when empty plastic bags and bottles are flying in the air creates distraction for drivers specially for bike riders. As a result, a number of incident are happening everyday.

Another major issue is related to their production, while making plastic material so many toxic chemical releases in the air and make it polluted. Consequently, due to air pollution many people are suffering from aesthma and other breathe disease.

Several measures can be taken to address these problems. The most effective solution would be to replace the plastic bottles with steel one. Also, plastic bag should be banned as in dollarama now by prefering clothes bags for shopping and groceries. Another possible measure is to avoid the use of plastic for packaging. for example for small products, individuals should use cardboard and paper. These solution can work with the support of all people.

In conclusion, plastic waste and toxic gases can lead to many ailments and accidents.However, these issues can be addressed by replacing and banning the plastic material.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both questions by identifying environmental harms and proposing actions for governments and individuals. The points about soil becoming unproductive, pollution from production, and replacing or avoiding plastic are relevant. However, the damage is only briefly explained: the road-accident claim is not clearly connected to wider environmental harm, and effects on wildlife or waterways are not considered. The solutions also need fuller explanation, especially how governments would implement a ban or encourage alternatives. The response is four words below the required minimum, which contributes to the limited development. Add specific examples and explain how each proposed measure would reduce the damage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, two paragraphs on problems, a solutions paragraph, and a conclusion. Sequencing phrases such as “The most significant,” “Another major issue,” and “Consequently” help readers follow the discussion, and the main topic remains consistent. This coherent structure is a strength. To make progression more effective, develop clearer links between claims and their consequences; for example, the connection between plastic waste and road accidents is asserted rather than fully explained. Some transitions are mechanical, and the solutions paragraph moves quickly from bottles to bags to packaging. Grouping government actions separately from individual actions, with a clear link between them, would improve cohesion and paragraph focus.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “plastic waste,” “toxic chemical,” “air pollution,” and “cardboard,” so the reader can understand the subject and proposed alternatives. There are also attempts at more specific language, such as “unproductive” and “distraction.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward, including “the reason of accidents,” “breathe disease,” and “steel one.” Spelling errors such as “aesthma” and “prefering” also reduce accuracy. Build a more precise environmental vocabulary and check common collocations; for instance, describe plastic as contaminating soil or harming wildlife, and refer to reusable steel bottles and respiratory illnesses.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a cause-and-effect structure beginning “This is because” and a conditional example introduced by “for example.” The overall meaning is generally recoverable, but errors occur across sentence structures and agreement. For example, “plastic waste make” needs subject–verb agreement, while “when empty plastic bags and bottles are flying in the air creates” has an incomplete or mismatched clause. There are also article and plural problems in “a number of incident” and “plastic bag should be banned.” Punctuation and spacing are inconsistent, particularly where sentences run together after “environment” and “accidents.” Practise accurate clause construction and proofread agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries.

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