Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-08

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 5.0)

Plastic is very harmful for our environment but if we can recycle it. It will be beneficial for our nature and environment. As you can see in the diagram it shows the full process of how plastic is recycling. First we can see someone is throwing the plastic bottles in dustbin which later took by truck who will take it to plastic sorting person. That person will sort out the plastic which can be recycle all the recycle bottles will compressing into blocks then with crushing machine it will be crushed into pieces. After that those crushed plastic will turn into patells for making in to raw materials for producing new products. As we can see in the 9th picture. So many products developed by recycle plastic. Which we can use in our daily life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main stages from disposal and collection through sorting, compression, crushing, and the production of new goods, so the response is relevant to the diagram. However, the account is partial: it omits the washing stage and does not clearly explain that the plastic is made into pellets, then heated to form raw material before end products are manufactured. The overview is also limited; the opening focuses on environmental benefits rather than summarising the process’s key feature, its recycling loop. The response is 15 words below the required minimum, which leaves little room to report the stages fully. To improve, give a concise overview and describe each important stage accurately, including how the finished products can re-enter the cycle.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The stages are presented in a broadly chronological order, and phrases such as “First,” “After that,” and “As we can see” help signal movement through the process. This gives the reader a basic sense of progression. However, the response is written as one long paragraph, and several ideas run together, particularly the sorting, compression, and crushing stages. Some links are also awkward or unclear: “which later took by truck who will take it to plastic sorting person” makes the relationships between the bottles, truck, and worker difficult to follow. The final comments about products are separated from the process without a clear concluding link. Use paragraphing and more precise stage-to-stage transitions, and make each sentence describe one or two connected steps.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “sorting,” “compressing,” “crushing machine,” and “raw materials,” which helps communicate the general sequence. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate, sometimes making the process unclear. For example, “patells” is not the correct term for “pellets,” while “plastic is recycling” and “products developed by recycle plastic” do not express the intended meanings naturally. “Dustbin” is also less precise than “recycling bin” for this diagram. Repetition of “plastic” and “products” further limits flexibility. Build a small set of accurate process terms and use them consistently, such as “recycled,” “pellets,” “processed,” and “manufactured,” while avoiding repeated general wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts to connect stages with longer sentences, but the structures are often faulty, and most sentences contain grammatical problems. For example, “First we can see someone is throwing” has an awkward tense pattern, while “which later took by truck” lacks a correct passive verb form. The clause “all the recycle bottles will compressing into blocks” also has errors in word form and verb construction, and “those crushed plastic will turn” has agreement problems. Sentence boundaries and punctuation are inconsistent, especially where several stages are joined together. These errors sometimes make the sequence difficult to understand. Practise accurate passive forms for process descriptions, such as “the bottles are collected” and “the plastic is crushed,” and use shorter, complete sentences before attempting more complex links.

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