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)

Recent study has suggested that plastic materials can have detrimental impact on environment. Although use of plastic bags, bottles and packaging has significantly increased, governments need to find alternative options to solve these issues. Plastic materials are toxic and it takes several years to dissolve into the soil. It has not only impacted humans lives but also marine species and eco system. This essay will outline the damages to the environment and potential solution in order to deal with these issues.

To begin, plastic can have harmful impacts in long term. It is often observed that many people throw bags and other rubbish into the river, sea and it is widely known that life of plastic materials is comparatively higher than any other materials. As a result, it could disturb marine life. For example, high amount of plastic in the water bodies may reduce the oxygen level which may affect the breathing to marine creatures.

To solve the problems, governments should encourage people to use alternative options and recycling process. Scientists and researchers are continuously looking out for the solutions and they have adviced people to use aluminium cans instead of plastic bottles, eco-friendly spoon in the place of plastic ones, cotton bags instead of plastic ones. Governments and public authorities should increase awareness in the society by different campaign and TV advertisements. For example, distributing pamphlet to residents may help individuals to gain knowledge and understanding about adverse effects of plastic and they may reduce the use of such materials in the future.

To sum up, although plastic is easily available and more convenient, long term consequences should not be ignored. Rather than blaming plastic packaging and related products, we should encourage society to focus on eco-friendly approach.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses both questions: it identifies harm to marine life and proposes government awareness campaigns, recycling, and alternatives such as cotton bags and aluminium cans. The examples make the suggestions relevant, and the conclusion reinforces the need for an eco-friendly approach. However, the damage is explained quite narrowly: the claim that plastic in water reduces oxygen is not developed, and other effects, such as animals ingesting plastic or pollution persisting on land, are not explored. The solutions are also mostly presented as a list rather than explained in terms of how they would reduce plastic waste. Develop each main point with a clearer explanation or a specific, well-supported example to make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay has a clear overall structure, moving from an introduction to environmental damage, proposed solutions, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is appropriate, and signposts such as “To begin,” “To solve the problems,” and “To sum up” help readers follow the stages of the argument. This coherent arrangement meets the lower-band expectations and shows some features of stronger progression. However, connections within paragraphs can feel mechanical, and some references are unclear: “these issues” in the introduction does not specify the problems, while the solutions paragraph shifts quickly from research to alternatives and then awareness campaigns. Use more precise referencing and link each suggestion to the problem it addresses, rather than relying mainly on formulaic transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The response uses an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “detrimental impact,” “marine species,” “recycling process,” and “eco-friendly.” These choices make the subject clear, and the writer attempts some less common expressions. At times, however, word choice and collocation are inaccurate or awkward, as in “life of plastic materials,” “breathing to marine creatures,” and “focus on eco-friendly approach.” There are also word-form or spelling slips, such as “adviced.” These do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and naturalness. Build accuracy by learning common environmental collocations and checking whether nouns, verbs, and adjectives fit their context; for example, describe plastic as “taking a long time to break down” rather than referring to its “life.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including the concessive opening “Although use of plastic… has significantly increased” and the conditional “If… plastic… may reduce the oxygen level.” Most sentences communicate their meaning, and errors rarely obstruct the argument. Some grammatical inaccuracies remain, particularly with articles, agreement, and sentence construction: “has detrimental impact on environment” needs articles, “It has not only impacted humans lives” has an incorrect possessive form, and “plastic materials… it takes” shifts awkwardly between plural and singular subjects. The final sentence also needs an article in “focus on eco-friendly approach.” Review article use and ensure pronouns and verbs clearly match their referents, while continuing to practise varied complex structures.

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