Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-19

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 process of recycling plastic bottles.

Overall, this process consist on 9 stages. Begin with throwing used bottles into plastic waste bin and ended at new products made by them.

At the first stages, used plastic materials collected in recycling waste bin . This waste was shifted through vehicle to the recycling centre for sorting and distinguish plastic material from other materials. In further stage, bottles was compressed set them into blocks where crushing machine crushed these block into pieces and washed out all the dust. After washing pieces shifted to another machine that producing plastic pellets.

Furthermore, these pellets get heated to make raw materials. Thus, these raw materials are ready to produce new products such as new plastic bottles , plastic boxes, colours , shirts and bags.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the ability to fully develop the description of the process. While you have identified the main stages of the recycling process, the under-length nature of the essay means that the overview is somewhat rushed and lacks the necessary detail to reach a higher band. To improve, ensure you expand on the descriptions of each stage, perhaps by explaining the purpose of each step more thoroughly or by using more descriptive language to connect the stages, ensuring you comfortably exceed the 150-word threshold.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized logically, following the chronological order of the recycling process. You use some basic cohesive devices such as 'At the first stages', 'In further stage', and 'Furthermore' to guide the reader. However, the paragraphing is underdeveloped; the entire body of the process is contained within one paragraph, which makes the text feel dense. To improve, try to group the stages into two distinct paragraphs—for example, one for the collection and sorting phase, and another for the processing and manufacturing phase—to improve the overall flow and structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to describe the process clearly. You use relevant technical terms like 'compressed', 'crushing machine', and 'raw materials'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'consist on' (should be 'consists of') and 'distinguish plastic material' (should be 'separate plastic materials'). To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise verbs and nouns related to industrial processes and ensure your prepositions are used correctly with your chosen verbs.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('process consist on', 'materials collected', 'bottles was compressed') and missing articles ('at new products', 'to another machine that producing'). While you attempt some complex sentence structures, the errors in basic grammar and tense consistency are noticeable. To improve, focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and ensure that your passive voice constructions are formed correctly (e.g., 'bottles were compressed').

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.