Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-27

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 5.5)

In contemporary era, it is becomming common to see plastic in bags, bottles and other packaging material. This much use of plastic has become hazardous for both living beings and environment. Numerous problems caused by plastic to the environment are going to be discussed in this essay with some remedies.

First and foremost, tones of wasted plastic materials dumped by various factories into water bodies has made marine life difficult to survive. In adition, the water which was safe to drink has now microplastic in them which cannot be see with naked eye but results in serious health ailments.

Furthermore, fertile soil and fresh air to breathe would be difficult to have in coming years, and the credit goes to plastic. We usually say the fault of everything is plastic however the main culprit are us who use it and throw it mindlessly. Fumes and other harmful gasses which produce through burning plastic materials are proven lethal to the environemnt and and its creatures.

The only solution comes to my mind is recycle, reuse and reduce. This can only be applies in existence with the combined efforts.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify relevant environmental damage, including harm to marine life, microplastics in water, and pollution from burning plastic, and you offer the general principle “recycle, reuse and reduce.” However, the response addresses the task only minimally: the damage is listed rather than explained with clear consequences or examples, and the solutions are not developed. The question specifically asks what governments and individuals can do, but neither group is discussed separately or given practical actions. The conclusion that combined efforts are needed is too brief to clarify your position. The response is also below the required 250 words, which limits how fully you can explain and support your ideas. Develop each part with specific measures and examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a basic overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph describing environmental harm, and a final paragraph mentioning a solution. Linking expressions such as “First and foremost,” “In addition,” and “Furthermore” help signal the sequence of points. However, the progression is limited: the damage points are grouped together without clear development, and the final solution paragraph is too short to form a complete discussion of government and individual responsibilities. The opening promises “some remedies,” but these are not subsequently explained. Some connections are also unclear, particularly the shift from soil and air pollution to the claim that “the main culprit are us.” Use separate, focused paragraphs for damage, government action, and individual action, and connect each claim to its explanation.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You show an adequate range for the topic, using relevant terms such as “marine life,” “microplastic,” “fertile soil,” “harmful gases,” and “lethal.” These choices make the environmental subject clear, and “mindlessly” conveys a useful idea about careless disposal. Some less common or formal expressions are attempted, but several are inaccurate or awkward, including “tones of wasted plastic materials,” “made marine life difficult to survive,” and “the credit goes to plastic.” Spelling errors such as “becomming,” “adition,” and “environemnt” also reduce accuracy, although the meaning remains understandable. Aim for more natural collocations and precise wording, for example, describe plastic as “threatening marine ecosystems” rather than making survival “difficult.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple statements and some longer structures, including the relative clause in “which cannot be see with naked eye” and the contrast introduced by “however.” The main ideas are generally understandable, but some grammatical errors remain. Examples include “it is becomming common” (the verb form should be “becoming”), “has made marine life difficult to survive” (the structure does not correctly express the effect), and “the main culprit are us” (subject–verb agreement). In “which cannot be see,” the passive form is incorrect, and “has now microplastic in them” has an unclear subject and agreement. There is also a repeated “and” in “and and its creatures.” Practise accurate passive forms, agreement, and sentence patterns for explaining cause and effect.

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