Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-01

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 given diagram illustrates the procedure for recycling plastic bottles.

Overall, it is clearly visible that the compile process contain total nine steps. The complex process are made up of many stages.

Firstly, from the various location bottles are collected. Further, bottles transfer to the vehicle that carries the all plastic bottles. In the next stage, bottles reach to the recycling center and separate into different containers. Furthermore, all the bottles are compressed into the blocks. In the upcoming stage, block of bottles go into crushing process and thoroughly wash from fresh water. Now, this plastic pieces pass through machine and transfer into plastic pellets. In the next stage, pellets size more reduce to form a new materials. This raw materials again packed into boxes. In the final stage, from that raw material new different products are created like bags, bottles, containers , pens and cloths as well from recycle plastic.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the recycling process, from collection to the creation of new products. However, the overview is weak; stating that there are 'total nine steps' is a mechanical observation rather than a summary of the process's nature. The description of the stages is somewhat repetitive and lacks a clear, analytical focus on the transition between the mechanical and chemical phases. While all parts of the diagram are addressed, the lack of a sophisticated overview and the tendency to simply list steps rather than synthesize information limits the score to a 5.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response uses basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Further', 'In the next stage', and 'Furthermore'. While these help to sequence the information, the overuse of these mechanical transitions makes the flow feel repetitive and somewhat disjointed. Paragraphing is insufficient; the response is essentially one long block of text after the introduction, which fails to group the stages of the process logically (e.g., collection, processing, and manufacturing). The progression of ideas is present but lacks the flexibility required for higher bands.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate to describe the process but lacks precision and variety. Phrases like 'compile process', 'upcoming stage', and 'pellets size more reduce' are either inaccurate or unnatural. There is a reliance on simple, repetitive verbs such as 'transfer', 'go', and 'pass'. While the student successfully uses some topic-specific vocabulary like 'compressed', 'crushing', and 'pellets', the overall range is limited, and word choice errors occasionally hinder the natural flow of the description.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that affect readability. There are issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'the compile process contain', 'the complex process are'), article usage (e.g., 'from the various location'), and prepositional errors (e.g., 'wash from fresh water' instead of 'with'). The sentence structures are predominantly simple or contain errors when attempting complex constructions. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of basic grammatical slips prevents the response from reaching a higher band.

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

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