Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-11

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 5.5)

The diagram demonstrates the process for the recycling plastic bottles.

Overall, the diagram recycling the process of plastic bottles are consist of nine steps.How the plastic bottles are recycled.

The first step the people are throw the empty bottles on the basket. The van are load are all empty bottles on the van. The van are moving the recycling center and sorting all the bottles. And moving on the next step forth step the bottls are compressing into the blocks. The fifth step the bottles are crushing on the machine and washing on clean water. Next sixth step the plastic pellets are producing on the machine. And the pellets are heating and to form of raw materials. The raw material are store at a place and take it a shape. The last step ninth step of this diagram the stock of the raw material and producing make the products like bottles and many other products. This process of he plastic bottles are recycled.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the diagram as a recycling process and report several central stages, including collection, sorting, compressing, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating. The description also recognises that the process ends with products such as bottles and other items. However, the overview is unclear and does not clearly explain the closed-loop nature of the process, in which end products can return to the recycling bin. Some details are inaccurate or vague: the bottles are put in a recycling bin, not simply a “basket,” and the raw material is used to produce end products rather than being stored and shaped as described. To strengthen the response, give a clear overview of the cycle and report each stage in its correct relationship to the next.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The stages are generally presented in the order shown, and sequencing expressions such as “The first step,” “Next,” and “The last step” help the reader follow the process. However, the response is organised as one long paragraph, and the progression is weakened by repeated, sometimes confusing transitions, such as “And moving on the next step forth step.” The opening also repeats the task wording without establishing a clear overview. Some references are difficult to follow, particularly “The raw material are store at a place and take it a shape.” Use separate paragraphs for the overview and process details, and connect stages with concise, accurate transitions so the sequence is clear without relying on repeated step labels.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use several relevant process terms, including “sorting,” “compressing,” “crushing,” “washing,” “plastic pellets,” and “raw materials,” which gives the response a basic vocabulary suited to the diagram. However, the range is limited and some word choices or combinations are inaccurate, making parts of the process difficult to understand. For example, “the van are load are all empty bottles on the van” does not clearly express collection, while “take it a shape” is not a natural way to describe forming material. There are also spelling slips such as “bottls” and “he.” Aim for precise process verbs and natural collocations, such as “the bottles are collected,” “the plastic is shredded,” and “the pellets are heated.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to describe a sequence using both short statements and linked clauses, but grammatical control is weak and errors frequently make the meaning difficult to follow. Examples include “the diagram recycling the process … are consist,” “the people are throw,” and “the bottles are compressing,” where verb forms and sentence construction are faulty. Subject–verb agreement is also inconsistent in “The raw material are store,” and several sentences lack clear grammatical links between actions. Most descriptions rely on the same simple pattern, with little accurate variation. Practise forming passive sentences for processes—for example, “The bottles are sorted and then compressed”—and check agreement, verb forms, articles and sentence boundaries.

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