Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-27
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 phenomenon of recycling of plastic bottles.
Overall, we use a lot things made from plastic and consider them a waste by throwing them in dustbins. But the plastic can easily be recycled so that is cannot become a hazard to our environment. environmental pollution can definitely reduced by using the method of recycling.
firstly , we buy numerous plastic-made products from supermarkets. The diagram given here shows a man is throwing a plastic bottle in dustbin. We usually think plastic is just a waste. But if government decides to make recycling vital , that garbage can become very resourceful. When garbage collecting vehicles come to pick up the waste from trash cans, they submit that waste and segregate everything that is made of plastic. Recycling centres compress them into blocks and then crush them further. this crushing leads to the formation of plastic pellets. these pellets get heated up more to produce raw material of plastic. This raw material can be transformed into various useful stuff for daily life usage. It can include clothing, plastic lunchboxes, water bottle ,pencils and many more items. Recycling process is proven to be a great strategy to reduce pollution.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to maintain an objective, academic tone required for Task 1. Instead of focusing solely on the process described in the diagram, the writer includes personal opinions and commentary, such as 'we use a lot things made from plastic' and 'if government decides to make recycling vital'. The task requires a report on the visual information provided, not an essay on the importance of recycling. While the steps of the process are mentioned, the inclusion of irrelevant personal views and the lack of a clear, objective summary of the stages significantly detract from the task requirements. To improve, focus strictly on describing the flow of the diagram without using 'we' or 'I'.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is divided into paragraphs, but the logical flow is hindered by the informal, conversational style. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'firstly' and 'when', but they are often applied in a way that links personal opinions rather than the stages of the process. The transition between the introduction and the body is abrupt, and the referencing is sometimes unclear. The overall structure lacks the formal progression expected in an Academic Task 1 response. Using more formal linking phrases like 'The process begins with...' or 'Subsequently...' would help improve the logical flow and coherence of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for basic communication but lacks the precision and academic register required for this task. Phrases like 'various useful stuff' and 'throwing them in dustbins' are too informal. There is some attempt to use process-related vocabulary, such as 'segregate', 'compress', and 'pellets', which is positive. However, the range is limited, and the word choice is often repetitive or imprecise. To reach a higher band, the student should replace informal expressions with more sophisticated, subject-specific terminology and avoid colloquial language.
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 missing articles ('in dustbin'), incorrect verb forms ('environmental pollution can definitely reduced'), and punctuation errors, such as the space before the comma in 'firstly ,'. Subject-verb agreement and preposition usage are also inconsistent. While the meaning is generally clear, these errors are frequent enough to distract the reader. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like missing articles and verb tense consistency would significantly improve the accuracy of the writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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