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)

This given diagram illustrate the information of recycling and different sort of step involve in this process.

Overall, it can be observed at glance ,in this process nine different stages are involved from throwing trash into bin to form a recycled cloth, bottel, and etc.

The intiative step of repurposing is the transportation of waste from to recycling store where the sorting step start and waste trash is seprated from recyclable material. Subsequently this material is ready for being crushed in big comressing machineries .These fragment then processed and washed to make plastic pellets Following this plastic are heated at moderate temprature to form a raw material,which are prepared for manufacturing purposes.

In final stage these raw material is used to manufacture vareity of new product like bottel, shirts, bag and pencil. This is most important to keep our invironment clean and to keep away from polution

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as a sequence and give a broad overview, noting that it has nine stages and ends with new products such as bottles, shirts, bags and pencils. You also report several central steps, including sorting, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating. However, the account is incomplete: it omits the initial recycling-bin and collection-truck stages, and does not clearly explain that sorting separates recyclable bottles from rejected items. The overview’s claim that the process forms “a recycled cloth” is not supported by the diagram; it shows a T-shirt among several end products. The final environmental comment is not part of the process description. The response is also three words below the required minimum. Cover the full cycle more precisely and use the space to describe its stages.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, a paragraph describing the middle stages and a final paragraph about the products. Sequencing expressions such as “Subsequently,” “Following this” and “In final stage” help the reader follow the general progression. However, the opening stages are skipped, so the process does not progress clearly from collection to sorting. Some links are awkward or unclear, particularly “transportation of waste from to recycling store,” and the transition from the process description to the environmental comment feels abrupt. Punctuation and spacing also interrupt the flow. To strengthen the organisation, describe every stage in order and use clear references such as “the sorted bottles” and “these pellets” to connect steps.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt vocabulary suited to a process, including “transportation,” “separated,” “processed,” “raw material” and “manufacturing purposes.” These choices show some range beyond basic description. However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable and sometimes make the meaning less clear: “intiative,” “seprated,” “comressing,” “temprature,” “vareity” and “polution.” Some phrases are also unnatural or imprecise, such as “different sort of step,” “recycling store” and “recycled cloth.” Use the diagram’s specific terms, for example “recycling centre,” “plastic pellets” and “end products,” and check spelling carefully. More accurate collocations would make the description clearer without requiring more complicated vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “material, which are prepared for manufacturing purposes” and a sequence of linked process steps. However, errors in sentence structure and grammatical control are frequent enough to make some parts difficult to read. For example, “This given diagram illustrate” has subject–verb disagreement, while “from to recycling store” has an incomplete prepositional construction. There are also problems with articles, plurals and agreement in “these raw material is used,” and punctuation is missing between several sentences. Aim first for accurate basic clauses, then add complex structures. Check that subjects agree with verbs and that each sentence is complete and correctly punctuated.

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