Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-25
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)
These diagrams illustrate the process for recycling plastic bottles from conception to completion.
Overall, the recycling process underwent substantial modernization, highlighted by the production of renewable goods.
Firstly, people throw away plastic bottles into the recycled bin. Then, the several trucks incrementally collect the recycled garbage transported to the recycling center. Recycling center sorts some collected plastic bottles based on certain standard such as type of plastic, dirtiness, and transparency. After sorting, compress all the plastic bottles into square blocks shape. Then, crushing all the plastic blocks entirely utilizing the manufacturing facilities like crusher, after that process, washing the pieces of plastic into purified water. In the following step, producing plastic pellets and heating pellets to form the raw materials. Afterwards, the produced prosperous raw materials can shifted dramatically into renewable goods such as plastic bottles, garments, bags, and pencils to sale in the industry. Hence, these recycling process are crucial for socioeconomic aspects simultaneously declining the environment pollution.
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 the main stages of the recycling process, from collection to the production of new goods. However, the overview is slightly inaccurate; the process describes a standard industrial cycle rather than 'modernization' or 'renewable goods' in the sense of energy. While the key features are identified, the description of the process is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear, analytical summary of the transformation stages. The conclusion regarding 'socioeconomic aspects' is an external opinion not supported by the diagram, which is a minor deviation from the task requirements. To improve, focus strictly on the information provided in the visual prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response uses a range of cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Then', 'After sorting', and 'In the following step' to sequence the stages. However, the paragraphing is insufficient; the entire response is written as a single block of text, which hinders the logical flow. While the progression is generally clear, the mechanical use of transition words makes the writing feel repetitive. To achieve a higher band, you should group the stages into logical paragraphs—for example, one for the initial collection and sorting, and another for the processing and manufacturing stages.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors. For example, 'prosperous raw materials' is an incorrect collocation, and 'shifted dramatically' is an inappropriate way to describe the manufacturing process. The phrase 'dirtiness' is also imprecise; 'impurities' or 'contaminants' would be more academic. While you attempt to use a range of vocabulary, the lack of precision in word choice occasionally makes the meaning slightly unclear. Focus on learning collocations related to industrial processes.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include incorrect verb forms ('compress all the plastic bottles' instead of 'the bottles are compressed'), missing articles ('into square blocks shape'), and awkward phrasing ('these recycling process are'). There are also errors in subject-verb agreement and preposition usage. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focus on passive voice construction, which is essential for describing processes.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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