Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-06

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The diagram below shows the process for recycling plastic bottles.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

How plastic bottles are recycled

Student answer (Band 4.0)

The diagram illustrates the recycling process of plastic bottles.

Overall, the process is going through several stages, initiall stage is throwing the plastic bottle into the garbage and the last stage is produce the new product from raw material . and use

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

You identify the topic accurately by stating that the diagram shows “the recycling process of plastic bottles,” and you attempt an overview by referring to an initial and a final stage. However, the response reports almost none of the process: it omits collection, sorting, compressing, crushing, washing, pellet production and the return to new products. The description also misidentifies the first stage as throwing bottles into “the garbage”; the diagram shows a recycling bin. The final stage is only partly captured, since end products are made from processed raw material. The required minimum length is not met, leaving the task substantially incomplete. To improve, provide a clear overview of the loop and describe the main stages in sequence.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: the opening identifies the diagram, followed by a sentence intended to summarise the process from its beginning to its end. This gives the reader a simple overall direction. However, there is no developed sequence of stages or paragraphing to guide the reader through the cycle, largely because the response stops after the overview. The final fragment, “and use,” is disconnected and leaves the meaning unfinished. Build the response with a short overview followed by a logically ordered account, using clear links such as “Next,” “After sorting,” and “Finally.” Ensure each sentence is complete and that references to the stages are easy to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The vocabulary is limited but includes relevant terms such as “recycling process,” “plastic bottle,” “stage,” and “raw material,” which make the general topic recognisable. However, the range is too narrow to describe the diagram’s key actions and materials, and “garbage” is inaccurate for the recycling bin shown. Some phrasing is also imprecise: “produce the new product” does not clearly convey that several different end products are made. Use specific process vocabulary from the diagram, including “collect,” “sort,” “compress,” “crush,” “wash,” and “pellets.” This would make the account more precise and help distinguish the stages rather than relying on general words such as “stage” and “product.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts a simple overview sentence and a longer sentence comparing the beginning and end of the process. The opening, “The diagram illustrates the recycling process of plastic bottles,” is clear and grammatically controlled. In the next sentence, however, several errors make the description difficult to follow: “initiall stage is” lacks an article, “is going through” is an awkward tense choice for a diagram, and “the last stage is produce” uses the wrong verb form. The sentence also contains an unnecessary full stop before “and use,” leaving an incomplete fragment. Practise complete present-simple descriptions, for example, “The first stage is placing bottles in a recycling bin, while the final stage is making new products from the raw material.”

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