In many countries, plastic shopping bags are the main type of rubbish. They cause water and land pollution, so they should be banned. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Sample Response
Plastic shopping bags have become a ubiquitous source of environmental pollution in many nations, significantly contributing to water and land contamination. To protect the environmentsave our environment, many people advocatemany suggest a complete ban on plastic shopping bags. It is also my firm belief that their detrimental effects warrantthat detrimental effects warrant a ban on plastic bags worldwideall around the world.
The environmental impact of plastic bags is substantial, particularly in terms of water and land pollution. These non-biodegradable bags often find their way into water bodies, posing a severe threat to aquatic life. For instance, marine animalsmarine animals, mistake these bags for food and ingest themfood, and ingest them, leading to seriousfatal consequences such as choking or digestive issues. Additionally, when not disposed of properly, plastic bags end up cluttering landfills, where they can take hundreds of years to decompose fully. This accumulation of plastic waste not only contaminates soil but also seeps harmful chemicals, polluting the surrounding environment.
Moreover, athe ban on plastic bags would not only mitigate environmental pollution but also encourage the adoption of eco-friendly alternatives. Several countries that have enforced strict regulations or imposed bans on plastic bags have witnessed a surge in the use of reusable bags made from biodegradable materials such as cotton or jute. For example, in countries where plastic bag bans have been implemented, citizens have transitioned to using reusable bags, significantly reducing the volume of plastic waste generated.
In conclusion, given the detrimental consequences of plastic shopping bags foron the environment, their prohibition seems imperative. Not only would a ban mitigate the severe pollution caused by these bags, but it would also foster the adoption of more sustainable alternativesmore sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response states a firm position, sustains it throughout, and develops a logical case using environmental consequences and viable alternatives. Its main limitation is that the supporting examples remain somewhat general and the discussion occasionally repeats the same pollution claims. The highest priority is to make the evidence more specific and use it to deepen the causal analysis rather than restating the central argument.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The position is direct and fully maintained, with both environmental harm and the benefits of alternatives developed in relevant detail.
Strengthen the argument further by making the real-world examples more specific and analytically connected to the proposed ban.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically through well-focused paragraphs, and cohesive devices guide the reader smoothly with only slight repetition.
Vary the transitions between consequences and solutions so the progression feels even less formulaic.
Lexical Resource
The response uses a wide and precise environmental vocabulary with strong control, despite a few slightly awkward or repetitive choices.
Refine collocations around chemical pollution and replace repeated references to environmental effects with more exact alternatives.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex sentence forms are varied and generally accurate, with only isolated punctuation and clause-level slips.
Proofread comma placement and coordination in long sentences to remove the few remaining accuracy lapses.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
In many countries, plastic shopping bags are the main type of rubbish. They cause water and land pollution, so they should be banned. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.