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)

This given diagram illustrate the informationof recycling system different sort of steps from trash to form a useful products.

Overall,it can be observed at a glance ,there are seven stages in this process to start with in which bottel ,peice of cloth and other material thrown into bin,Moreever the sorting is main and most important step in this method.

The intiative step of repurposing the coolection and transportion of waste carefully to recycling store where waste trash is sperated from recyclable items.Sebsequently this is now ready to being compressed into blocks before a

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response4.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy4.5
Overall4.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response identifies the general subject as recycling and mentions collection, sorting, and compression, so it shows some awareness of the process. However, it reports only a small part of the diagram and gives an inaccurate overview: it says there are “seven stages,” whereas the diagram shows a nine-stage cycle, and it introduces cloth and other materials that are not shown. The account stops at “before a” and omits crushing, washing, pellet production, heating, raw material, end products, and the return loop. The required minimum length is not met, which contributes to the task being addressed only minimally. To improve, describe the full sequence and summarise the closed-loop nature of the process.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response into an introduction, an overview, and a process paragraph. Sequencing words such as “Overall,” “The intiative step,” and “Sebsequently” also indicate an effort to guide the reader through the stages. However, the progression is incomplete and breaks off mid-sentence at “before a,” leaving the process unfinished. Connections between ideas are sometimes unclear, and the overview’s claim about seven stages does not align with the later description. Develop each stage in a logical order, use clear paragraphing for the overview and details, and ensure that each sentence is complete and linked accurately to the next.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant process vocabulary, including “recycling,” “sorting,” “compressed into blocks,” and “recyclable items,” which helps convey the topic. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms make the meaning difficult to follow, such as “repurposing the coolection,” “recycling store,” and “waste trash.” There are also frequent spelling errors, including “bottel,” “peice,” “intiative,” and “sperated.” Use precise terms from the diagram, such as “collection truck,” “recycling centre,” “crushing,” and “plastic pellets,” and check spelling carefully. Avoid adding materials that the diagram does not show.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts a few longer sentence forms, including “Overall, it can be observed at a glance…” and the sentence beginning “The intiative step…,” but control is weak and the range remains limited. Errors in sentence construction and agreement appear in “This given diagram illustrate” and “there are seven stages in this process to start with in which…”. The final sentence is incomplete, ending with “before a,” and punctuation is inconsistent, with missing spaces after commas and full stops. These problems sometimes make the intended relationships between ideas unclear. Build sentences around a clear subject and verb, use complete clauses, and check agreement, articles, and punctuation before finishing.

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