Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)

A boy can throw the plastic bottle in the dustbin box . After some time , here the pitch roller in the van and he bring the here of fog . The van here of the recycling center and sorting the fog . A one boys can give the useful things , one side and not useful things one side . The boy are useful things to prior and they are not useful to fog or therefore compressing into the block center .

They can not useful things to crushing . fogs are crushing and they can to washing in the fogs . After they can to wash and they are heating pellets to form raw material . We use raw materials to make different products . Therefore , some box , some bottels , penciles, shirts .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify several relevant stages, including putting bottles in a bin, collection, sorting, crushing, washing, heating, and making products. However, the process is reported only minimally, and some details are unclear or inaccurate: for example, the diagram shows accepted and rejected bottles being sorted, but the account does not explain what happens to each group. It also omits the production of plastic pellets and the return from end products to the recycling bin, so the closed-loop nature of the process is not conveyed. The response is 12 words below the required minimum, which further limits its coverage. To improve, give a clear overview of the full cycle and describe the stages in order using the diagram’s labels.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic sense of sequence, supported by references such as “After some time” and “After they can to wash,” and the response moves from disposal towards the production of new items. However, the progression is difficult to follow because several sentences contain unclear references, such as “he bring the here of fog” and “they are not useful to fog.” The ideas are also presented as one continuous paragraph, without a clear overview or grouping of the collection, processing, and output stages. Use short, ordered sentences and clear links such as “Next,” “After sorting,” and “Finally.” Make sure each pronoun has an identifiable noun so the reader can follow what happens at every stage.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses some task-related vocabulary, including “recycling center,” “sorting,” “compressing,” “crushing,” “washing,” and “raw material.” These words show an attempt to describe the process, but the overall range is basic and repetitive, and several choices make the meaning hard to understand. Phrases such as “pitch roller in the van,” “the fog,” and “useful things” do not accurately name the objects or materials shown. There are also spelling errors in “bottels” and “penciles.” Build a more precise set of process terms, for example “collection truck,” “recyclable bottles,” “plastic pellets,” and “finished products,” and check spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0

You attempt to describe events in sequence, and some short clauses communicate basic information, such as “We use raw materials to make different products.” However, the range of sentence structures is very limited, and frequent errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction often distort the message. Examples include “he bring,” “A one boys can give,” and “they can to washing.” The response also shifts between present and past forms without a clear reason. Practise using the present simple for process descriptions: “The truck takes the bottles to a recycling centre,” followed by “They are sorted and then crushed.” Focus on complete sentences with a clear subject and correctly formed verb.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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