Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-07-30
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 PICTORIAL DEPICTS THE PROCESS OF PLASTIC BOTTLES RECYCLING.
OVERALL,PLASTIC BOTTLE RECYCLING PROCESS IS CIRCULAR AND CONTAINS 9 STAGES TO COMPLETE.
TO BEGIN WITH,THE GARBAGE TRUCK COLLECT THE NUMEROUS PLASTIC BOTTLE FROM THE TRASH BAG. FURTHERMORE,TRUCK DELIVERS THE PLASTIC BOTTLES TO RECYCLING CENTRE. RECYCLING CENTER PERFORMS THE SORTING METHOD TO SEPERATE THE RECYCLE AND NON-RECYCLE PLASTIC BOTTLES. MOREOVER,THESE RECYCABLE BOTTLES ARE FURTHER COMPREESED INTO BLOCKS.IN THE NEXT STEP, THE BLOCKS PASSES THROUGH CRUSHING MACHINE. THEN, THE CRUSHED PARTICALS SEND DIRE
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which severely limits your ability to report the main features or make comparisons. You have only described the first few stages of the process and failed to complete the summary of the entire diagram. Because the response is incomplete and fails to cover the full process shown in the prompt, it does not address all parts of the task. To improve, you must ensure you describe every stage of the process from start to finish and provide a more comprehensive overview of the entire cycle.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response uses some basic cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Furthermore', and 'Moreover', which helps to sequence the initial steps. However, the paragraphing is poor, and the text ends abruptly mid-sentence, which disrupts the logical flow and overall structure. The lack of a complete response makes it difficult to assess your ability to organize information effectively. To improve, focus on writing complete sentences and grouping related steps into clear paragraphs, ensuring the entire process is described logically from beginning to end.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for describing a process, using terms like 'recycling centre', 'sorting method', and 'crushing machine'. However, there are several spelling errors, such as 'particals' instead of 'particles' and 'seperate' instead of 'separate'. Additionally, the vocabulary range is quite limited due to the short length of the response. To achieve a higher band, try to use more precise verbs and nouns to describe the stages of the process and ensure you proofread your work carefully to eliminate basic spelling mistakes.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains several grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement, such as 'truck collect' (should be 'trucks collect') and 'blocks passes' (should be 'blocks pass'). There are also issues with article usage, such as 'the recycling centre' and 'the crushing machine', where articles are sometimes missing or misused. The sentence structures are simple, and the abrupt ending prevents the use of more complex grammatical forms. Focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and consistent article usage to improve your accuracy.
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