Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-31

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)

It was extremely important to recycle goods in order to save the environment. Especially plastic bottles, as it can be seen from the given diagram that how we can recycle plastic bottles in order to produce goods from it.

Firstly, plastic bottles are picked up from a trash box or litter box.With a help of a bus or any vehicle that helps gather the plastic bottles from wherever people throw it after using.Then all the plastic bottles are sorted after which they are compressed into several blocks. These bottles are crushed later on.Maintaing hygiene is crucial therefore these bottles are then washed with clean water.

Moreover, these are made into plastic pellets.Then the process of heating these pellets strarts in order to form raw material.And that raw mateial is used to produce goods like clothes,more water bottles of different designs and shapes.It can also be used in producing plastic storage boxes,plastics bags and papers,And many other essential stationary items and art supplies.

AI examiner evaluation

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 introduction is problematic; it includes unnecessary personal commentary ('It was extremely important to recycle...') rather than a neutral summary of the diagram. The description of the process is generally accurate, but the overview is weak, as it fails to highlight the cyclical or multi-stage nature of the process effectively. While all key steps are mentioned, the report lacks a professional tone and objective focus required for an Academic Task 1 response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the sequence of events. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or slightly awkward, such as the repetitive use of 'Then' and 'And'. The transition between the collection phase and the manufacturing phase is functional but lacks sophistication. Some sentences are poorly linked, and the punctuation, particularly the spacing after commas and periods, is inconsistent, which occasionally disrupts the flow of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate to describe the process but remains quite basic. Phrases like 'trash box', 'litter box', and 'a help of a bus' are unnatural and imprecise. While the student correctly uses terms like 'compressed', 'crushed', and 'plastic pellets', the range is limited. There are also errors in word choice, such as 'Maintaing' (spelling error) and 'stationary items' (likely meaning 'stationery'). To reach a higher band, the student needs to use more precise, academic vocabulary and improve collocation accuracy.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures. While there are attempts at complex sentences, they are often marred by grammatical errors, such as 'as it can be seen from the given diagram that how we can recycle'. There are frequent issues with articles ('a trash box'), preposition usage, and subject-verb agreement ('process... strarts'). Punctuation is also a significant issue, with missing spaces after periods and commas throughout the text. These errors are noticeable and occasionally distract the reader, though they do not fully impede communication.

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.