Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-23
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 outlines the stages of recycling synthetic resin bottles.
Overall, process includes nine steps which begin with throwing used polymer containers into dustbin and ends with the manufacturing of recycled products.
Initially, people need to throw waste plastic bottles into trash bin and worker collect containers from garbage bin and transported to the plant where recycling process take place using truck and labour sort the bottles and put into compressing machine to minimise the partical size. Furthermore, crusher helps to crush the polymer and after crushing, crushed plastic soaked into water for washing.
In addition, an equipment is used to produce plastic pellets and heated to form raw material. Ultimately, using raw synthetic resin product different useable things are manufactured such as shirts, pencils, boxes, bottles, containers, bags, mugs, and other accessories. After that plastic product are distributed in the market for the purpose of utilization in daily routine.
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 covers all stages of the recycling process, from collection to the final distribution of products. However, the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear, analytical overview of the process as a whole. While the main features are identified, the response would benefit from grouping the stages more logically (e.g., collection, processing, and manufacturing) rather than listing them sequentially. The summary provided in the introduction is a bit simplistic. To reach a higher band, you should focus on synthesising the information to highlight the transformation of the material more effectively, rather than just narrating the steps shown in the diagram.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of the process. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive and mechanical. For instance, the transition 'In addition' and 'Furthermore' are used to link sentences, but the flow between some ideas feels disjointed. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'an equipment is used', which lacks a specific subject. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus, such as separating the initial collection phase from the technical processing and final manufacturing stages.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher score. There are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'throwing used polymer containers into dustbin' and 'partical size' (spelling error). The term 'an equipment' is also grammatically incorrect as 'equipment' is an uncountable noun. While you successfully use some topic-specific vocabulary like 'synthetic resin' and 'polymer', you need to expand your range to include more sophisticated verbs and nouns to describe industrial processes, such as 'compressed', 'shredded', or 'transformed'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Issues include missing articles ('into dustbin', 'using truck'), subject-verb agreement errors ('worker collect', 'process take place'), and incorrect word forms ('partical' instead of 'particle'). While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors prevent the text from reaching a higher band. To improve, focus on mastering basic article usage and ensuring that subjects and verbs agree in number, especially when describing technical processes.
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.