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)

We use plastics in our daily lives, from the bottles we drink from, to the bags we package our stuff with. It's use has indeed become an integral part of our routine. Yet, we cannot turn a blind eye to the disadvantages it poses to our environment.

The damage that plastic does to our environment is immense. Even right from the production, a whole lot of green house gases are emitted in the production process of plastics. Accumulation of these gases due to the large scale prodcution of plastics damages our ozone layer, potentially altering our climate and not for good. Because plastics are generally non biodegradable, disposing plastic wastes has become a 'herculean' task. Even incinerating it is not enough as the process is potentially damaging to our environment and not the whole plastic is destroyed in the process. As a result, plastic refuse are being dumped in water bodies, polluting it, killing aquatic life and also rendering the wotter not usable for human consumption.

With every problem, there is a solution, even if it is not a definite one. The problems posed by plastic use is on a global scale and there have been numerous meetings, conventions and researches done in the hope of finding a solution. One of which I would like to mention is the use of biodegradable material to replace plastic packaging and bags. The downside to this is that these plant based products used to replace plastic packaging will not last like plastics but I beleive it is a welcome solution and a better alternative to plastic use.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address both the environmental damage and possible responses, and the discussion of greenhouse-gas emissions, non-biodegradable waste, incineration and harm to aquatic life is relevant. However, the response is uneven: the damage is explained in more detail than what governments and individuals should do. The proposed use of biodegradable materials is a useful idea, but it is not clearly assigned to either group, and there is little explanation of practical government action or individual responsibility. The opening also gives a general position rather than a clear, sustained answer to both questions. Develop each solution with a specific example and explain how it would reduce plastic pollution; this would make the response more complete and its ideas better supported.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction, a paragraph on environmental harm and a paragraph on solutions. Linking expressions such as “Yet,” “As a result” and “With every problem, there is a solution” help signal relationships between ideas. However, the final paragraph moves from global meetings and research to biodegradable packaging without explaining the connection, and the discussion ends before the solutions are fully organised. Some references are also unclear, as in “incinerating it” and “the process,” where the reader must infer the exact referent. Use clearer topic sentences and separate government measures from individual actions, then connect each measure explicitly to the problem it addresses.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You show an adequate range and some ambition, using topic-specific expressions such as “greenhouse gases,” “non-biodegradable,” “incinerating” and “aquatic life.” Phrases such as “turn a blind eye” and “herculean task” also show an attempt to use less common language, though the latter is rather dramatic for this formal discussion. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or imprecise, including “plastic refuse are being dumped,” “rendering the wotter not usable” and “the problems posed by plastic use is.” Spelling slips such as “prodcution” and “beleive” also reduce control. Aim for precise, natural combinations—for example, “plastic waste is dumped into waterways”—and proofread spelling and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex structures, including the conditional clause “Even if it is not a definite one” and the cause-and-effect construction “As a result.” Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “It's use” needs the possessive “Its,” while “The problems posed by plastic use is” has a subject–verb agreement error. In “plastic refuse are being dumped,” the noun is treated as plural, and “polluting it, killing aquatic life and also rendering…” leaves the grammatical links between actions somewhat loose. Review agreement, possessives and sentence construction, and check that pronouns clearly refer to the intended noun. More consistently accurate complex sentences would strengthen the response.

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