Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-31

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 5.0)

To begin with, plastic bags, plastic bottles, and plastic packaging are extremely harmful to the environment and human health. As plastic use increases in our daily lives, many people develop various diseases.

Additionally, the use of plastic is very harmful to the environment, human beings, and even animals. For instance, many cities have factories that produce plastic bags for groceries, and people buy stuff in plastic bags.

On the other hand, plastic bottles are very commonly used for drinking soda, and many companies manufacture children's school water bottles with plastic. Additionally, many middle-class families cannot afford bottles for their children and for themselves; however, plastic is a very affordable material for middle-class families,

Furthermore, plastic packaging in restaurants and marts is used to preserve food; however, food with plastic packaging is very dangerous for the body. For instance, in our domestic households, many women use plastic packaging to pack lunch for their children and their husbands. Many of us like to reheat the food in the microwave with the plastic packaging; because of that, many individuals have various diseases such as cancer, liver damage, kidney problems, etc., because we are careless with our bodies and the environment.

The Government should conduct some awareness programs for people who are not well educated. Authorities also have to control the production of plastics.

In conclusion, Plastic bags, plastic bottles, and plastic packaging should be banned because they are bad for the environment and human beings. Plastic also badly affects plants. Also, markets and shopkeepers have to convey the message to their customers to bring cloth bags from home; it helps to clean the environment, and air pollution will be controlled.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify several relevant harms, including possible health effects from plastic packaging and impacts on animals and plants, and you offer actions such as awareness programmes, controlling production, banning plastics, and encouraging cloth bags. However, the environmental damage is not explained clearly or specifically: the response gives little detail about litter, pollution of waterways, or harm to wildlife. The health discussion takes up much of the essay and includes broad claims, while the question asks directly about environmental damage. The government and individual solutions are also only briefly stated, with little explanation of how they would work. Develop each part of the prompt with a clear position and specific supporting examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has an opening, a series of supporting points, and a conclusion, so the reader can identify its general topic and recommendations. However, the progression is not consistently clear: the discussion moves from bags to bottles, then household food packaging and health, before returning to government action. Several paragraphs combine different points rather than grouping environmental damage and solutions separately. Linking expressions such as “Additionally,” “Furthermore,” and “On the other hand” are repeated or do not always show a genuine contrast; for example, “On the other hand” introduces another example of plastic use. Use clearer paragraph purposes, connect each example to the main point, and choose linking phrases that accurately express the relationship between ideas.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main subject, including “plastic packaging,” “production,” “awareness programs,” and “air pollution.” There are also attempts to express consequences, such as “liver damage” and “kidney problems.” However, the range is limited by repeated general words and phrases, especially “very harmful,” “various diseases,” and “bad for the environment.” Some choices are imprecise or awkward, such as “produce plastic bags for groceries” and “convey the message to their customers.” More precise environmental terms would help explain the effects, while varied verbs and collocations would make the argument clearer. Aim to use topic vocabulary accurately rather than relying on broad claims.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and longer sentences, including clauses joined with “because” and “however,” and the main meaning is generally understandable. However, complex sentences are not consistently controlled. In “Many of us like to reheat the food in the microwave with the plastic packaging; because of that,” the semicolon is incorrectly used before a dependent linking phrase. The sentence beginning “Additionally, many middle-class families…” is also left unfinished, ending with a comma rather than completing the contrast. Capitalisation is inconsistent in “In conclusion, Plastic…”. Work on completing sentences, punctuating clauses correctly, and checking sentence boundaries. More accurate control of these patterns would make your ideas easier to follow.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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