Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-28

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 4.0)

Plastic bags, plastic bottles and packaging materials have a negative impact in the society and pose serious challenge for the government. Athough plastic bottles, bags and packaging can be convenient, their improper disposal can lead to soil pollution. I believe that both the government and individuals have significant role to play in tackling plastic waste.

Plastic waste is one of the major environmental problems facing the world today. Plastic bottles, plastic bags, and plastic packaging can take hundreds of years to decompose. Their improper di

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The opening identifies plastic waste as an environmental problem and gives a relevant starting point by noting that discarded plastic can pollute soil. It also states that governments and individuals both have a role. However, the response ends before either question is meaningfully answered: it does not explain the range of environmental damage or describe any government or individual measures. The ideas are therefore extremely limited and unsupported, and the reader cannot see how the proposed solutions would work. The response also falls substantially short of the required minimum length, leaving the task largely incomplete. To improve, develop each part in separate paragraphs, explain consequences such as harm to wildlife and waterways, and give specific actions and examples for both groups.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: the first paragraph introduces the issue and states a general position, while the next begins to discuss environmental effects. The ideas within the opening are connected through phrases such as “Although” and “I believe.” However, the response stops partway through a sentence (“Their improper di”), so there is no complete progression, developed paragraph structure, or conclusion. The relationship between the stated role of governments and individuals and the discussion that follows is not established. To make the organisation clearer, complete each paragraph around one main point, use linking phrases to show cause and effect, and finish with a paragraph that summarises practical solutions.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses some relevant topic vocabulary, including “improper disposal,” “soil pollution,” “decompose,” and “plastic waste,” which helps communicate the central subject. There is also some variation in referring to plastic items, such as “plastic bottles, plastic bags, and plastic packaging.” However, the short response offers little evidence of a broader or more flexible vocabulary range, and a few choices are inaccurate or awkward: “in the society” and “pose serious challenge” do not sound natural in context. The spelling “Athough” is also incorrect. Build a wider set of precise terms for environmental impacts and solutions, and check collocations and spelling when editing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response includes a few useful sentence patterns, including a concessive opening (“Although … can be convenient”) and a relative clause (“problems facing the world today”). These show some ability to combine ideas, and the main message is generally understandable. However, grammatical control is uneven: “pose serious challenge” is missing an article, and “both the government and individuals have significant role” also needs an article before “significant role.” The final sentence is incomplete, ending with “Their improper di,” which prevents the idea from being understood fully. The response is too brief to demonstrate a sustained range of structures. Practise checking articles and sentence completeness, and use a mix of simple and complex sentences to explain causes, effects, and solutions.

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