Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-22

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)

Plastic is harmful for the environment because it is does not bio-degrade and cause microplastic pollution.

Plastic causes various problems in the environment. To begin with, one of the major problem associated with use of plastic is its extremely slow decomposition because of its synthetic chemical structure is highly resistant to decomposition by microorganisim. As a result plastic waste can remain in the environment for hundred of years, accumulating in landfills and polluting rivers and oceans, harms wildlife and gradually breaks into microplastics that can enter food chains. For example, discared plastic bags can enter rivers and eventually each the sea where marine animals may swallow them or become entangled in plastic waste.

To solve this issue, Government should restrict unnecessary single use plastics, improve waste collection and recycling facilities and encourage businesses to use reusable or suitable biodegradable alternatives. For instance, paper or cloth bags can significantly reduce unnecessary plastic waste accumulate on landfills. As they are re-usable and paper can be recycled in the environment.

In conclusion, the non-biodegradable nature of plastic poses a serious threat to the environment because it accumulates for long periods and harms wildlife. Therefore, governments should promote environmentally friendly alternatives and improve recycling practices.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address both parts of the question: you explain that plastic persists for a long time, pollutes waterways, harms wildlife and breaks into microplastics, and you suggest government restrictions, better recycling and reusable alternatives. The example of animals swallowing or becoming entangled in bags helps illustrate the damage. However, the response is under the required 250 words, and this limits how fully you can develop your ideas. The solutions are less developed than the explanation of environmental harm: individual actions are not clearly discussed, and the benefits or practical details of the proposed measures are only briefly stated. Extend the response with specific actions individuals can take and explain how these measures would reduce plastic pollution.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

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,” “As a result” and “In conclusion” help guide the reader, and the main ideas are generally easy to follow. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent organisation and shows some effective progression. To make the links more flexible and precise, avoid relying mainly on formulaic transitions and clarify the relationship between sentences. For example, the sentence beginning “For instance, paper or cloth bags” is followed by “As they are re-usable,” whose reference is not fully clear. A separate, developed point about individual actions would also improve the progression of the solutions paragraph.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “microplastic pollution,” “synthetic chemical structure,” “landfills,” “food chains” and “recycling facilities.” These choices allow you to discuss the issue with some specificity, and several less common terms are relevant to the task. There are, however, some inaccurate word forms, spelling errors and awkward collocations, such as “microorganisim,” “discared” and “each the sea,” which reduce precision. “Suitable biodegradable alternatives” is also vague; naming a specific alternative would be clearer. To strengthen your vocabulary, check spelling carefully and learn common environmental collocations, such as “break down,” “plastic waste accumulates” and “marine ecosystems.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a cause-and-effect structure in “As a result plastic waste can remain…” and a relative clause in “where marine animals may swallow them.” Most of the meaning remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect accuracy. For example, the opening says “it is does not,” while “one of the major problem” has a number-agreement error. The long sentence beginning “To begin with” also lacks a clear grammatical link after “decomposition,” making the explanation difficult to process. The final solution sentence, “As they are re-usable and paper can be recycled in the environment,” is incomplete or unclear in its construction. Proofread agreement, verb forms and sentence boundaries, and vary complex structures while keeping each sentence complete.

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