Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-18
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 information is delinated by the assigned process that shows that how the plastic bottles are recycled.
Overall, it is clearly vivid that it is an mechanical as well as man made process. Moreover, it is an linear process, commencing with the collection of used bottles and termenating at the recycled products.
At the initial stage, the used bottles are collected and transported to the recyling centre through the truck for the sorting. Afterwards, the bottles are compressed into the small blocks. Then blocks are sent for the crushing and washing.
Further the diagram shows that, the washed material was passed through the machine for producing plastic pellets. Consequently, the plastic pellets are heated to make the raw material. Therefore, after collecting the raw material. Eventually, the new product is manufactured by the raw material.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers the main stages of the recycling process, but it fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the score. While the overview identifies the process as mechanical and linear, the description of the stages is somewhat brief and lacks the necessary detail to fully develop the response. The summary is accurate, but the lack of length prevents a more comprehensive analysis of the process steps, such as the specific transition between the raw material and the final product.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is logically organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the sequence of the process. Cohesive devices such as 'At the initial stage', 'Afterwards', 'Then', and 'Consequently' are used to link the steps. However, the flow is occasionally interrupted by awkward phrasing, such as 'Therefore, after collecting the raw material. Eventually, the new product is manufactured by the raw material', where the sentence structure is fragmented and repetitive. Improving the variety of linking words would enhance the overall cohesion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are several spelling errors, such as 'delinated' (delineated), 'mechanical' (mechanized), 'termenating' (terminating), and 'recyling' (recycling). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on basic terms to describe the process. To achieve a higher band, you should aim to use more precise technical vocabulary related to industrial processes and ensure accurate spelling of key terms throughout the report.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, including article misuse ('the truck', 'the small blocks'), incorrect verb forms ('the washed material was passed' instead of 'is passed'), and awkward sentence construction ('shows that how the plastic bottles are recycled'). These errors occasionally impede the clarity of the writing. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage for process descriptions will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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