Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-25

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)

Nowadays, the environment is impacted by the wrong dispose of plastic bags, bottles and conteiners. Most of the plastic that is used by society ends up in landfields or in the ocean, causing pollution and affecting the environment by causing death of animals. Governments should incentivize laws that fines the wrong disposible of plastic mateirals . In addition, individuals should learn recycle and reuse the used plastics to decrease the impact on nature.

Plastic bags that is wrongly disposed can take years to decompose and this persistent material can cause an imbalance on environments and will cause death of animals that consume this material. For instance, plastic bags are banned in most of the countries because when it land on the ocean, turtles will eat it by mistake thinking it is an jellyfish, and this can cause the death of the turtles. This issue can disrupt the marine environment due to the deaths of numerous turtles, the disruption of marine food webs, the deterioration of coral reef health, and the decline of seagrass ecosystems.

Governments can fine corporation that produces these plastic materials and they impose bans on those materials. This would reduce the plastics bags or bottles that ends up in landfields and oceans. In addition, the population is a part of the problem. The majority of them don't dispose or separate the garbage correctly causing the plastic material to land on oceans and landfields. Furthermore, people should learn to reuse and recycle plastic materials. For example, in Brazil, some people recycle plastic bottles to make a thread of plastic than can be used to make clothes.

In conclusion, the wrong dispose of plastic materials can impact the environment and cause death of animals. The population and the government can change this reality by fining the producers of plastic and by recycling and reusing this material so they dont end up on the ocean.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both parts of the prompt: you explain environmental harm, especially animals mistaking plastic for food, and suggest government action and individual recycling. The turtle example and the Brazil example make the response relevant and show the beginnings of effective support. The discussion of marine food webs, coral reefs and seagrass also broadens the account of damage. However, some points are asserted rather than explained: the claim that plastic bags are banned in most countries is not supported, and the effects on ecosystems are listed without showing how they occur. Government measures could also be more specific, such as describing how fines or restrictions would be enforced. More consistent explanation and development would make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs on environmental damage and solutions, and a conclusion. Ideas generally progress in a sensible order, and linking expressions such as “For instance,” “In addition,” and “Furthermore” help signal examples and additions. The main limitation is that some connections are mechanical or unclear. For example, “This issue can disrupt the marine environment” follows the turtle example, but the subsequent list of ecosystem effects is not linked to a clear explanation. The introduction also combines several ideas in a compressed way, while the conclusion largely repeats earlier points. Use referencing more precisely and connect each example to the claim it supports to make progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a relevant range of topic vocabulary, including “decompose,” “marine food webs,” “coral reef health,” “recycle,” and “reuse.” These choices help communicate the environmental focus, and the Brazil example adds some specificity. However, several inaccurate or awkward expressions reduce precision, such as “wrong dispose,” “landfields,” “incentivize laws,” and “a thread of plastic.” There are also spelling errors, including “conteiners,” “mateirals,” and “disposible.” Some repetition of “plastic materials” and “cause” makes the vocabulary less flexible. Aim for accurate collocations and word forms, and proofread spelling; this would allow your relevant range to convey ideas more naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “animals that consume this material” and a conditional structure in “when it land on the ocean.” The meaning is generally understandable, but errors in agreement, articles, and verb forms occur across the response. Examples include “Plastic bags that is wrongly disposed,” “turtles will eat it,” and “the majority of them don't dispose or separate,” where the grammatical forms do not consistently match their subjects or intended meaning. The sentence beginning “Governments can fine…” also shifts awkwardly between actions without a clear structure. Work on subject–verb agreement, singular and plural reference, and article use, then check each sentence for a clear grammatical pattern. Greater accuracy would strengthen the complex structures you are already attempting.

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