Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-14
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 process chart given by the information process for recycling plastic bottles.There are total 9 stages from start to end of the procedure.
By having a quick glance, it is a clear that the first step begins throw the bottle in dustbin and in the next stage the garbagge delivered by truck after that in the recycling centre the bottle was sorting out in diffferent containers and the fourth stage is the sorter ands bottles compressing into blocks.
Turning toward the rest of the information in the further stage the bottles are crusing out with the help of crusing machine and then it was washed afterward, producing plastic pallets with the assist of machine in the seven stage the pallets was heated to form raw material and in the last stage with the help of raw material making cloths , bottels, pencils and bags.
Overall , each and every stage in this process is equally important if any of the step is missed then whole process will be halted.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
You identify the process as having nine stages and include several key steps, including collection, sorting, compressing, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating. However, the account is only partly complete: it does not clearly explain that the finished raw material is used to produce a range of end products, and it omits the diagram’s return loop from those products to the recycling bin. Some details are also unclear or inaccurate, such as saying bottles are sorted into “different containers” rather than accepted or rejected, and describing the first container as a “dustbin.” The final overview that every stage is equally important does not summarise the process’s main pattern. A clearer overview and more precise coverage of the complete cycle would strengthen the response.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response has a generally understandable sequence: the first paragraph introduces the process, the next two move through its stages, and linking phrases such as “after that,” “Turning toward,” and “then” help signal progression. This gives the reader a coherent overall arrangement. However, the progression is sometimes difficult to follow because several stages are crowded into long sentences, and the final paragraph repeats a general point rather than bringing the process together. Some connections are also imprecise: “in the seven stage” interrupts the sequence, while “in the last stage” does not accurately signal that the diagram continues in a loop. Use clearer stage-by-stage grouping and refer explicitly to the cycle returning to the start.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “recycling centre,” “compressing into blocks,” “raw material,” and “producing plastic.” This shows a basic range suited to the topic. However, word choice and spelling errors are noticeable and sometimes make the description harder to understand: “garbagge,” “diffferent,” “crusing,” “pallets,” and “bottels” are misspelled, while “dustbin” and “cloths” do not accurately describe the diagram’s recycling bin and T-shirt. Some phrases are also unnatural, such as “process chart given by the information process” and “with the assist of machine.” Build accuracy with standard process collocations and check spelling carefully; precise terms will make the stages easier to identify.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and longer sentences, and the sequence is sometimes expressed through clauses joined with “after that” and “and then.” However, the range is limited, and complex sentences are often faulty. For example, “The process chart given by the information process for recycling plastic bottles” is a sentence fragment, while “the first step begins throw the bottle” lacks a grammatical construction. Verb forms and agreement are also inconsistent in “the bottle was sorting out” and “the pallets was heated.” Articles and sentence boundaries need attention as well. Practise writing complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and use consistent present simple forms to describe a process, such as “bottles are sorted” and “the pellets are heated.”
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.
