Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-07

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 diagram illustrates the making process of recycling plastic bottles.

Overall, as shown in the diagram that there were nine steps that been followed to made plastic bottles. To began with stored huge plastic made waste from garbage and followed rest steps by using machine that made and shape bottles.

In the starting point, there were appointed plastic waste bins to collect all the waste by individuals and the collector truck came and grab the waste to recycling centre. However, the waste sorted in centre and go through the machine and compress waste in to block shapes. Whereas these block crushed and washed by water.

In sixth step, these washed sent to the producing plastic pellets and in the seventh step gave heat to those pellets and turned them into raw material. Additionally, the raw material was ready to ship to the factories and used for producing end products such as making clothes, bottles and storage boxes, and recycling bags.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response provides a clear overview of the recycling process and identifies the main stages. However, the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a sophisticated synthesis of the information. While the key steps are covered, the explanation of the process is occasionally imprecise, such as in the description of the 'producing plastic pellets' stage. To improve, ensure that the relationship between the stages is more clearly articulated and that the summary captures the flow of the process more fluidly. The response addresses all parts of the task, but the development of ideas is somewhat limited by the repetitive sentence structure and lack of descriptive detail regarding the transformation of materials.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the process. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'To began with' and 'In the starting point'. The transition between sentences is sometimes abrupt, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when referring back to previous stages. While there is an overall progression, the lack of varied linking words makes the flow feel somewhat stilted. Improving the range of cohesive devices and ensuring they are used naturally would significantly enhance the coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There are several instances of word-choice errors or awkward phrasing, such as 'making process of recycling' instead of 'recycling process' and 'grab the waste' instead of 'collect the waste'. The student relies on basic terminology and struggles with collocations, such as 'appointed plastic waste bins'. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on using more precise technical vocabulary related to industrial processes and avoid repetitive or informal phrasing. The errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the range of expression.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Examples include 'there were nine steps that been followed to made' (should be 'that have been followed to make') and 'these washed sent to' (should be 'these are washed and sent to'). Subject-verb agreement and tense consistency are problematic in several places. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on verb forms and sentence structure accuracy is essential for improvement.

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

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