Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-28
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 below illustrates the process of recycling plastic bottles. In this process plastic bottles will go through many phases to make another products.
First and foremost, majority of homes use plastic materials such as plastic bottles, can and plastic bags. When they are not useful anymore they waste them think of them as a garbage even though plastic can be recycle to make other products. Secondly, the authorities made a law for recycle legally. So, the environmental cleaning department will take those waste products to factories to recycle them.
In factories the recycling process will initiate. First of all they will sort out the waste materials, which material can be recycle and which is not. Afterwards, the compression process starts. In this process useful plastic materials are compressed and transform them into blocks. Then these blocks will be crushed between two wheels made of steel and they are opposite to each other.
Furthermore, these crushed particles will be washed inside water and if place them into a machine to make plastic pellets. Then these pellets will be heated for a few time to form raw material.
Finally with the help of raw material other products can be manufactured such as clothes, lunch boxes and shopping bags etc.
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, but it includes significant irrelevant information. The first paragraph discusses household habits and government laws, which are not depicted in the diagram. Task 1 requires an objective summary of the provided visual information only. By including personal opinions and external knowledge about waste management, the response loses focus on the actual process steps. While the main features are identified, the inclusion of non-diagrammatic information prevents a higher score. To improve, focus strictly on the data or process provided in the prompt and avoid adding external commentary or subjective opinions.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of the process. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as 'First and foremost' and 'Secondly' to describe a process diagram. The transition between the household stage and the factory stage is abrupt. While there is an overall logical flow, the referencing is occasionally unclear, and the connection between sentences could be smoother. Using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph focuses strictly on a distinct stage of the process would improve the coherence of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'make another products' (instead of 'create other products') and 'if place them into a machine' (instead of 'they are placed'). The use of 'not useful anymore' is somewhat informal. To reach a higher band, you should aim for more precise technical vocabulary related to industrial processes, such as 'sorted', 'compressed', 'shredded', and 'raw materials', while avoiding repetitive or overly simplistic expressions.
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. Examples include 'plastic can be recycle' (should be 'recycled'), 'the authorities made a law for recycle legally' (should be 'for recycling'), and 'for a few time' (should be 'for a short time'). Subject-verb agreement and article usage are inconsistent throughout the text. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors limits the score. Focusing on consistent verb forms and correct prepositional usage will significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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