Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Environment plays a vital role in every individual life. Plastic in every form is very harmful to living beings but most sad part is it is being used by every individual to meet daily needs.Plastic bottles, bags and packaging has adverse effects on environment. In this essay we are going to discuss various effects od plastic on environmental and what are the steps government and individuals take to fix these issues .

To start with Plastic is not biodegradable which means this doesn't break down naturally. In addition to this, putting it on fire releases carbon dioxide and other gases which are very harmful to living beings and environment.Due to its property, it breaks down into very tiny particles which enters into food and water that is harmful to individuals and animals. It makes land less fertile too. Birds and fish often mistake it as a food and eat it which can kill them. Plastic bags are more responsible for pollution. People usually throw single use plastic bags after one use which increases supplies and demand of plastic bags. Plastic packaging is spreading worldwide due to less cost effective and easy availability but impacts air very badly.

Government should put regular fines on plastic companies to not produce it. They should encourage companies to build eco-friendly products like reusable bags, bamboo products for cutlery. They should give tax incentives to companies which promote biodegradable products. Apart from government. it should be every individual duty to limit use of plastic in daily activities.

To conclude, Government and individuals come together to solve this matter. Government should make better rules to promote less use of plastic and individual should make small changes in thier daily lives to support it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the task: it identifies environmental damage, including harm to wildlife, reduced soil fertility and pollution, and proposes actions for governments and individuals. The explanation that plastic breaks into tiny particles which enter food and water is relevant, while fines, tax incentives and reusable alternatives provide a range of solutions. However, some points are asserted rather than explained. For example, the claim that plastic packaging “impacts air very badly” is vague, and the proposed fines on companies are not linked to how this would reduce production or use. The individual’s role is also only briefly developed. Explain the effects and show how each proposed measure would help to address them more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay has a recognisable overall structure, moving from an introduction to environmental effects, proposed solutions and a conclusion. Paragraphing generally helps the reader follow this progression, and signposts such as “To start with” and “To conclude” make the stages clear. However, some linking is mechanical, and connections between ideas are not always precise. The effects paragraph moves from non-biodegradability to burning, microplastics, soil and wildlife without clearly grouping or relating these points. The sentence about single-use bags increasing “supplies and demand” is also difficult to connect to the environmental argument. Organise related effects together and use clearer references and transitions to show how each point develops the previous one.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The response uses an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “non-biodegradable,” “carbon dioxide,” “fertile,” “reusable” and “tax incentives.” These terms help communicate the main environmental issues and possible responses. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “adverse effects” and “eco-friendly products,” though some choices are inaccurate or unnatural. For instance, “increases supplies and demand” does not clearly express the intended consequence, and “less cost effective” appears to mean that plastic is inexpensive to produce or obtain. Spelling and word-form slips such as “od” and “thier” also reduce accuracy. Choose precise collocations and check spelling so that the vocabulary conveys the intended meaning consistently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “which means this doesn't break down naturally” and a conditional structure in “which can kill them.” Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. Subject–verb agreement is inaccurate in “Plastic bottles, bags and packaging has,” and the opening phrase “every individual life” needs a possessive form. Sentence boundaries and punctuation are also inconsistent, as in “Apart from government. it should be…” and the missing space after full stops in several places. These errors do not generally prevent understanding, but they limit control. Review agreement, articles and possessives, and proofread punctuation; then practise combining related ideas in accurate complex sentences.

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