Some people worry 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 agree or disagree?

Same questionCompare 5 different answers (Band 6.5–8)

Sample Response

1

Many people argue that governments should enactmake laws to increase household-waste recyclingincrease the recycling of household waste. However, I believe that laws are not needed to make people recycle more of their waste. This essay explainsIn this essay, I will discuss why laws are not the best way to increase recycling.

2

Firstly, people are more likely to recycle if they understand the benefits of recycling. Many individuals do not recycle because they do not know what happens to the waste they generate or why it is important to recycle. For example, in my neighbourhood, some people do not recycle because they do not understand how recycling worksdo not know the recycling process. If governments provide educational and awareness programmesmore education and awareness programs, people will understand the benefits of recycling, and recycling will become habitual for themit will become a habit for them.

3

Secondly, the lack of access to recycling facilities is another reason many people do not recycleanother reason why people in many areas do not recycle. In many places, recycling bins are not readily available, and people have to make an extra effortgo out of their way to recycle their waste. For example, in some rural areas, there are no recycling facilities, which makes it difficult for people to recycle. If governments make recycling facilitiesbins more accessible and convenient, people will be more likely to recycle.

4

Thirdly, financial incentives can be used to encourage recycling. In some places, people are paid for the waste they recycle, which motivates them to recycle more. For example, in Japan, the government pays people for the plastic bottles they recycle. This financial incentive motivates people to recycle more and reduces the amount of waste sent to landfillthe amount of waste that goes to landfills.

5

In conclusion, I believe that laws are not needed to make people recycle more of their household wastemore of their garbage. Instead, governments should focus on education and awareness programmes, improve access to recycling facilitiesprovide more access to recycling facilities, and offer financial incentives to encourage people to recycle. If these measures are taken, people will be more likely to recycle their waste, which will benefit the environment and society as a whole.

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 7.0

The response is strongest in its clear, consistently maintained position and its orderly development of three practical alternatives to legislation. Its main limitation is that the explanations and examples are somewhat generic and repeatedly use the same recycling vocabulary, which reduces depth and precision. The highest-priority improvement is to develop fewer points more critically, explicitly showing why each measure could outperform or complement legal requirements.

Band score breakdown

IELTS Writing Criteria Scores

TR

Task Response

7.0
Scoring rule

The response directly rejects the claim and supports its position with three relevant, adequately developed alternatives.

Next step

Develop the comparison with legal compulsion more critically so the alternatives demonstrate why legislation is unnecessary.

CC

Coherence and Cohesion

7.0
Scoring rule

Ideas progress logically through clear paragraphs, although the sequencing is predictable and some explanations repeat earlier wording.

Next step

Use more varied internal links between claims, causes, and outcomes instead of relying mainly on numbered transitions.

LR

Lexical Resource

7.0
Scoring rule

Vocabulary is appropriate and includes useful topic-specific items, but repeated forms of recycle and some generic phrasing limit flexibility.

Next step

Vary recurring language and choose more precise expressions for public education, collection infrastructure, and incentive schemes.

GRA

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

7.5
Scoring rule

A good range of complex sentences is used with consistently strong control and only minor awkwardness.

Next step

Refine the few cumbersome conditional and coordinated sentences to make relationships between ideas more concise.

Put the feedback to work

Write this task while it is fresh

Try the same task now. It helps you remember the feedback and write better next time.

IELTS Writing Task 2

Some people worry 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 agree or disagree?

Your response

Words0
40:00

Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.