Some people claim that not enough of the waste from homes is recycled. They say that the only way to increase recycling is for governments to make it a legal requirement. To what extent do you think laws are needed to make people recycle more of their waste?
Sample Response
Some people think that people do not recycle enough waste from their homes. They believe that governments should make recycling a legal requirement. I partly agree with this opinion because laws can help, but education is also important.
On the one hand, laws can make more people recycle. Some people do not care about recycling because they think it is a waste of time. If the government makes rules and gives fines to people who do not recycle, more people will follow the rules. As a result, more waste can be recycled and there will be less pollution. This is good for the environment.
On the other hand, I do not think laws are the only solution. Some people do not recycle because they do not know how to do it. In some places, there are not enough recycling bins, so it is difficult for people to recycle their rubbish. Governments should also provide more recycling facilities and teach people why recycling is important. When people understand the benefits, they are more willing to recycle.
In conclusion, I believe laws can increase recycling, but they should not be the only way. Governments should also improve recycling services and educate the public. By doing these things together, more people will recycle their household waste.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Word choice Original: do not recycle enough waste Suggested revision: do not recycle a sufficient amount of waste Why it matters: Replacing simple phrases with more formal vocabulary elevates the academic tone.
- 2. Collocation issue Original: gives fines to Suggested revision: imposes fines on Why it matters: The standard collocations in academic contexts are 'impose fines on' or 'issue fines to'.
- 3. Word choice Original: good for Suggested revision: beneficial to Why it matters: Using 'beneficial to' provides a more precise and formal expression than 'good for'.
- 4. Word choice Original: how to do it Suggested revision: how to separate their waste Why it matters: Replacing generic words like 'do it' with specific vocabulary improves lexical precision.
- 5. Word choice Original: rubbish Suggested revision: waste Why it matters: Using 'waste' maintains a consistent academic tone throughout the response.
- 6. Word choice Original: teach people why Suggested revision: educate the public on why Why it matters: Using 'educate the public' provides more formal academic language than 'teach people'.
- 7. Word choice Original: the only way Suggested revision: the sole strategy Why it matters: Replacing 'the only way' with 'the sole strategy' demonstrates a wider lexical resource.
- 8. Word choice Original: doing these things together Suggested revision: combining these approaches Why it matters: Using 'combining these approaches' replaces informal language with academic phrasing.
- 9. Sentence rewrite Original: If the government makes rules and gives fines to people who do not recycle, more people will follow the rules. Suggested revision: If governments enact strict regulations and impose fines on non-compliant households, a greater proportion of the population will follow these guidelines. Why it matters: Rewriting this sentence avoids repetitive phrasing like 'rules' and enhances the vocabulary.
- 10. Sentence rewrite Original: In some places, there are not enough recycling bins, so it is difficult for people to recycle their rubbish. Suggested revision: Furthermore, a lack of accessible recycling infrastructure in certain areas makes it difficult for residents to dispose of waste responsibly. Why it matters: This revision eliminates informal structure and improves cohesive connections between ideas.
- 11. Paragraph cohesion Suggested revision: Use more varied transitions to connect cause and effect instead of repeating simple linkers like 'as a result'. Why it matters: Varying the cohesive devices within the paragraph will create a smoother flow between sentences.
Suggested Rewrites
- do not recycle enough waste do not recycle a sufficient amount of waste
- gives fines to imposes fines on
- good for beneficial to
- how to do it how to separate their waste
- rubbish waste
- teach people why educate the public on why
Why this response received Band 6.0
The essay presents a clear position and logically organized paragraphs addressing both government legislation and additional measures like education and infrastructure. However, the response is under the required 250-word count, which limits the depth and expansion of the main arguments. To improve, extend your explanations with specific real-world examples and elaborate further on your points to meet the word length requirement.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Response
You addressed all parts of the prompt with a clear position, though the ideas are somewhat limited in development due to being under the word limit.
Expand your main body paragraphs with specific examples, such as mentioning a country's recycling fine policy, to surpass the 250-word minimum.
Coherence and Cohesion
The essay is logically structured into clear paragraphs with basic cohesive devices guiding the reader throughout.
Vary your linking expressions beyond formulaic phrases like 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand' to create smoother transitions.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is used accurately to convey the main message, though the range remains somewhat basic and repetitive.
Incorporate more varied topic-specific vocabulary and synonyms, such as 'implementing legislation', 'civic duty', or 'municipal infrastructure'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Grammatical control is strong with very few errors, though structures are predominantly simple and compound.
Attempt a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as passive voice and advanced conditional sentences, to demonstrate higher flexibility.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some people claim that not enough of the waste from homes is recycled. They say that the only way to increase recycling is for governments to make it a legal requirement. To what extent do you think laws are needed to make people recycle more of their waste?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.