Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-26

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 waste becomes one of the major problem in all parts of the world. The following paragraphs will discuss the harmful impacts associated with the use of plastic bags , plastic bottles and plastic packaging used for different purposes. The long durability and cheaper manufacturing make plastic a widely used product. However, it has several negative impacts on the environment.

One major significant issue caused by the excessive use of plastic is the environmental pollution. This is because plastic is non-biogredable in nature which make it harmful for the environment, thus responsible for several problems such as land pollution. As a result , plastic products like bottles , polythene bags are piling up and covering the land for years. Therefore, plastic should be avoided to use to protect the environment. Furthermore, Plastic is also responsbile for increased death rate of aquatic animals. This is because plastic particles are mixed up in the water and consumed by sea creatures mistakenly as food. Which cause harm to their internal organs and make them sick. In addition, sea animals is a major source of food in some parts of the world. Consumption of sea food which contain plastic is responsible causing severe illness in humans. Therefore, plastic waste becomes a biggest threat for all creatures on the earth.

There are number of useful measures which should be implemented to save the environment. This primary one is replace of plastic bags and plastic packaging with paper bags. The government should impose higher taxes on products which contain plastic packaging As a result, consumers will avoid buying products which are expensive. Moreover, governement should launch awareness campaigns to provide education to the public about the negative consequences of using plastic items. In addition, government should promote recycling and other business which manufacture eco-friendally products and items.

To conclude, plastic use has several drawbacks and responsible for causing harm to the environment and living creatures. Through government policies and by spreading awareness, plastic use can be minimize to reduce it harmful effects.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both parts of the question: you explain environmental damage, especially land pollution and harm to aquatic animals, and suggest government and public measures. The examples of plastic accumulating on land and being mistaken for food by sea creatures are relevant. However, some points are asserted rather than fully explained. For instance, the claim that eating seafood containing plastic causes severe illness in humans needs clearer support or qualification. The solutions also need more development: replacing plastic with paper and imposing taxes are mentioned, but you could explain how recycling schemes, restrictions, or incentives would work and what individuals can do directly. This gives the response relevant coverage, though some ideas are less fully developed than others.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph on environmental damage, a paragraph on solutions, and a conclusion. Ideas generally progress logically, and linking expressions such as “Furthermore,” “In addition,” and “To conclude” help guide the reader. The main points are grouped appropriately, so the reader can follow the argument. At times, however, connections are mechanical or unclear. For example, “Which cause harm to their internal organs” is separated from the preceding sentence, and “Therefore” is used repeatedly to introduce conclusions. Some references, such as “This primary one,” are also not immediately clear. More varied linking and clearer sentence-to-sentence connections would make the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic-related vocabulary, including “environmental pollution,” “aquatic animals,” “awareness campaigns,” and “recycling.” These choices make the subject clear, and you attempt some less common terms. However, several word-choice, collocation, and spelling errors reduce precision: “non-biogredable,” “increased death rate,” “replace of plastic bags,” and “eco-friendally” are examples. Some phrases are also awkward, such as “plastic waste becomes a biggest threat” and “responsible causing severe illness.” Aim for accurate, natural combinations rather than adding complexity where the phrasing is uncertain. Proofreading spelling and checking common collocations would help you express your ideas more precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including explanations with “This is because” and result clauses beginning “As a result.” The overall meaning is usually understandable, but some grammatical errors occur in agreement, sentence boundaries, articles, and verb forms. For example, “plastic waste becomes one of the major problem” has a number-agreement error, while “Which cause harm” is an incomplete sentence and should be joined to the previous clause. Other examples include “sea animals is” and “plastic use can be minimize.” Punctuation also needs attention, particularly the comma spacing and the capital letter in “Plastic” mid-sentence. Review agreement and clause construction, then proofread each sentence for a complete subject and verb.

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