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?
Sample Response
It is irrefutable that plastic harms the environment to a great extent. Plastic pollutes lands and water, degrades the fertility of the soil, and harms animals disrupting the entire ecosystem. Recycling plastic and limiting its use while also introducing biodegradable alternatives to plastics are by far the most effective solutions to this problem.
The environmental damages caused by plastic are severe and often extreme. Plastic bags, bottles, packages, toys and many other materials made of plastic remain in land and water for hundreds of years as they are not biodegradable. Plastic materials, that get mixed with soil, impair the breathability of soil and hamper the water flow in it. Thus it hurts the fertility of the land. Moreover, plastic that reaches the water bodies harms aquatic animals and coral reefs. Plastic pollution plays a considerable part in animal deaths. Today, plastic particles could be found in fishes, birds and other animals, and it disrupts the entire ecosystem.
However, the authorities concerned and mass people can turn the tide and mend the damage done to the environment to a great extent. For that, they have to ensure that they both play their part efficiently. First, people have to spontaneously take part in the plastic recycling process by putting plastic waste in a separate recycle bin. The authority has to make sure that all recyclable plastics are properly recycled and reused. To limit the use of plastic bags, people need to use bags made of biodegradable materials like jute fibre. They can start carrying their own glass-made bottle instead of buying plastic water bottles. Reduction in consumption of plastic-made materials could contribute to a large extent in limiting the harms caused by plastic. Finally, the government can limit the use of plastic bags and bottles by imposing a hefty tax on such items.
In conclusion, plastic is severely detrimental to the environment and ecosystem. So for our own benefit, we all need to use as little plastic as possible while also recycling the used plastic.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use uncountable land Original: lands Suggested revision: land Why it matters: Land is normally uncountable when referring generally to the natural environment.
- 2. Clarify the result Original: harms animals disrupting the entire ecosystem Suggested revision: harms animals, thereby disrupting the entire ecosystem Why it matters: The added connector and comma make the result relationship unambiguous.
- 3. Use uncountable damage Original: damages Suggested revision: damage Why it matters: Damage is uncountable when it means harm to the environment.
- 4. Correct the prepositions Original: remain in land and water Suggested revision: remain on land and in water Why it matters: Plastic remains on land but in water.
- 5. Remove defining commas Original: Plastic materials, that get mixed with soil, Suggested revision: Plastic materials that get mixed with soil Why it matters: A defining relative clause with that should not be enclosed by commas.
- 6. Clarify the reference Original: Thus it hurts Suggested revision: This harms Why it matters: This clearly refers to the impaired airflow and water flow, while it has no clear singular antecedent.
- 7. Use plural fish Original: fishes Suggested revision: fish Why it matters: Fish is the usual plural when referring collectively to these animals.
- 8. Use natural group terms Original: the authorities concerned and mass people Suggested revision: the relevant authorities and the public Why it matters: The public is the natural collective term for ordinary people in this context.
- 9. Choose a precise verb Original: spontaneously take part Suggested revision: actively participate Why it matters: Actively participate more clearly expresses deliberate involvement in recycling.
- 10. Use recycling bin Original: recycle Suggested revision: recycling Why it matters: Recycling is the standard noun modifier for a bin used to collect recyclable waste.
- 11. Add the article Original: Reduction in consumption of plastic-made materials Suggested revision: A reduction in the consumption of plastic materials Why it matters: The singular countable noun reduction needs an article here, and plastic materials is the natural phrase.
- 12. Use a precise preposition Original: in Suggested revision: through Why it matters: Through more precisely describes water moving within the soil.
Suggested Rewrites
- lands land
- harms animals disrupting the entire ecosystem harms animals, thereby disrupting the entire ecosystem
- damages damage
- remain in land and water remain on land and in water
- Plastic materials, that get mixed with soil, Plastic materials that get mixed with soil
- Thus it hurts This harms
Why this response received Band 7.5
The response answers both parts directly, with a clear structure and a useful range of environmental effects and practical measures. Its main weakness is lexical precision: several collocations and word forms sound unnatural despite the generally fluent and varied language. The highest-priority improvement is to replace awkward phrases such as “mass people” and “glass-made bottle” with natural academic wording while retaining the strong development and organisation.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both the environmental damage and the roles of governments and individuals are addressed directly with relevant, well-developed ideas.
Support one or two key solutions with more specific explanation of how implementation would reduce plastic pollution.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically through a clear introduction, focused body paragraphs, and a concise conclusion, with cohesive devices used effectively.
Refine a few internal links so that pronouns such as “they” have immediately clear referents.
Lexical Resource
The response uses a broad topic-specific vocabulary, though several collocations and word forms are noticeably unnatural.
Use more idiomatic academic combinations, such as “the general public,” “recycling bin,” and “glass bottle.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex sentence forms is handled accurately overall, with only occasional agreement, punctuation, and relative-clause errors.
Proofread complex sentences for restrictive-clause punctuation and agreement between subjects and verbs.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
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?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.