Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-03

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)

All the disposable plastic products and packaging have a detrimental impact on the environment. In particular, it cause land, air and water pollution. However, promoting recycling by the government and using bio-degradable products by individuals instead of plastics can help reverse the situation.

There are several negative impact of using plastic products on the environment. To begin with, plastic waste can affect fertile land. This waste does not dissolve into land even after buried for many years. As a result, this rubbish accumulate under the soil, and hinder the growth of crops. Furthermore, burning plastic waste can produce carbon. Chemically produced plastics may be ignited in case of fire, and it can result in obnoxious fumes in the environment. Consequently, it can reduce air quality. For example, many industrial sectors have poor quality air because of burning plastics. In addition, aquatic animals may be negatively impacted when plastic waste dumped into water bodies. Many parts of the world disposing pastics into an ocean is a usual activity. This waste could be swallowed by fish, turtles and other rare wildlife, which may reduce the numbers of animals living under the water and disrupt aquatic food chain.

However, certains steps should be taken into account to combat the situation. The primary measure is that the authorities should encorage businesses to recycle plastic waste by providing them tax benefits. This rule can be effective as industries will recycle their own plastic waste. This would reduce the presence of massive industrial plastic waste. Besides, people should utilize alternative products to plastic bags and bottles. There are many alternatives available such as cloth and paper bags, which can be used over harmful plastic products. Because of this sustainable alternatives, there will be less requirements of plastic production.

In conclusion, although plastics can cause natural resources an

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both parts of the question and maintain a clear overall position: plastic causes environmental harm, while recycling and alternatives can help. The effects are relevant and varied, including damage to soil and crops, air pollution from burning, and harm to aquatic wildlife. You also give practical measures, such as tax benefits for businesses that recycle and using cloth or paper bags. Some points, however, are less fully explained. For instance, the claim that burning plastic produces “carbon” is vague, and the industrial-air example is not clearly connected to the proposed solution. The conclusion is also incomplete, so it does not effectively summarise your response. Develop the explanations and finish with a complete concluding statement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure, moving from an introduction to environmental effects, proposed solutions, and a conclusion. Paragraphing helps distinguish the two main parts of the task, and signposts such as “To begin with,” “Furthermore,” and “In addition” make the sequence easy to follow. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent arrangement and shows some stronger control through logical progression. However, several links feel mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “This” and “As a result,” and some references are unclear: “This rule” follows the tax-benefit proposal but does not specify exactly what policy is meant. The final sentence breaks off, weakening the ending. Use more precise referencing and ensure the conclusion completes the progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “detrimental impact,” “fertile land,” “aquatic animals,” “food chain,” and “sustainable alternatives.” These choices help communicate the environmental issues and proposed responses, and some less common expressions are attempted. There are also noticeable word-choice, word-form, and spelling problems that do not prevent understanding but reduce precision: “pastics” is misspelled, “certain” is written as “certains,” and “plastic waste accumulate under the soil” is an awkward expression. “Produce carbon” is also too imprecise for the intended point about emissions. Aim for accurate collocations and proofread spelling, while choosing specific terms such as “toxic fumes” or “greenhouse-gas emissions” where appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “when,” “which,” and “because,” and most ideas remain understandable. Some grammatical errors persist, however. Subject–verb agreement is inconsistent in “it cause” and “this rubbish accumulate”; the passive construction in “when plastic waste dumped into water bodies” is missing “is”; and “There are several negative impact” has a number-agreement error. The final sentence, “although plastics can cause natural resources an,” is incomplete and leaves the conclusion grammatically unfinished. These errors are generally local rather than obstructive. Review agreement, passive forms, and sentence completion, then check each sentence for a clear subject and finite verb.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.