Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-26
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 5.0)
The process chart illustrates the process of recycling plastic waste.
overall, there are various stages are involve in the recyle of the waste bottles. It is initiate with gather the plastic waste from garbage and culminate with make useful product like cloth, pencile.
The process started with, collective plastic bottles waste from recyclebin and further transport through truck. After that, sorted process start in which good bottle are selected and other waste seprated. In the next step, selected bottle has been compressed and converted into box shape. After that, it is passed through cursher machine and makes into small pieces then wash in water tank.
Furthermore, after washed, plastic pieces put into pellet machine for produceplastic pellets. After this step, heat process is organised for make raw materials and it arrange into proper sequence. In finall step, useful products has been manufacture from raw material.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
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 negatively impacts the score. While the overview is present, the description of the process is somewhat mechanical and lacks the necessary detail to fully develop the response. The summary of the stages is accurate, but the lack of length prevents a more comprehensive analysis of the process flow. To improve, ensure that you expand on each stage of the diagram to meet the word count and provide a more detailed overview of the entire cycle.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the sequence of events. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive and occasionally mechanical, such as the frequent use of 'after that' and 'furthermore'. The progression of ideas is logical, but the transitions between sentences could be more varied to improve the flow. Paragraphing is present, but the structure within the paragraphs is slightly disjointed due to grammatical errors that affect the clarity of the connections between steps.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. There are several instances of incorrect word forms, such as 'recyle' instead of 'recycling', 'collective' instead of 'collecting', and 'cursher' instead of 'crusher'. These errors, along with the limited range of vocabulary, suggest a restricted lexical range. To reach a higher band, you should focus on using more precise terminology related to industrial processes and ensure that word forms are used correctly in context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. There are issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'there are various stages are involve'), incorrect verb forms (e.g., 'It is initiate with gather'), and missing articles. The sentence structures are mostly simple, and attempts at more complex structures often result in errors. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and sentence construction limits the score. Focusing on consistent verb tenses and correct sentence structure is essential for improvement.
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.