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)

The diagram gives information about how plastic bottles are recycled and reused.

Overall, the diagram contains various stages, starting from throwing garbage in bin and ends up with producing end products( clothes, tiffin, water bottles, pencils)

Firstly, garbage is thrown in bins by the person, and than it is further collected in trucks. After that, garbage is sorted in recycling centre and compressed into blocks in shape of rectangle. Furthermore, these blocks are crushed into thin pieces and washed properly. These are considerably put into machinery to produce plastic pellets. Than, plastic pellets are heated, which are converted into raw material. Moreover, raw materials are used to produce end products such as clothes, tiffins, shopping bags, water bottles.

To sum up, the diagram demonstrates various stages of recycling plastic bottles, starting with collection, sorting, compressing, crushing, producing, heating and finally ending with the production of raw materials and useful products.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all stages of the recycling process, from collection to the production of end products. The overview is clear and identifies the main features of the process. However, the description is somewhat mechanical, relying heavily on a step-by-step list rather than synthesizing the information into a more analytical summary. While the main stages are identified, the response lacks a deeper comparison or grouping of the stages (e.g., collection vs. processing vs. manufacturing). The inclusion of specific end products is good, but the overall development is quite basic, which limits the score to a 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized, following the chronological order of the diagram. Paragraphing is present, though the body paragraph is quite dense. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'After that', 'Furthermore', and 'Moreover' are used to guide the reader through the stages. However, some of these transitions feel a bit repetitive or mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow, though the lack of sophisticated linking between the stages prevents a higher score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, using terms like 'compressed', 'recycling centre', and 'raw material'. However, the range is somewhat limited and repetitive. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'considerably put into machinery' (which is imprecise) and 'tiffin' (which is a specific cultural term that might not be universally understood in this context). To improve, the student should aim for more precise verbs and a wider variety of descriptive nouns to avoid repeating 'garbage' and 'plastic pellets'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'than it is further collected' (should be 'then'), 'in shape of rectangle' (missing article 'a'), and 'These are considerably put into' (awkward phrasing). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band. The student shows an attempt at passive voice, which is appropriate for a process description, but the control over sentence structure and punctuation needs more refinement.

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

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