Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-02
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 illustrate the process for recycling plastic bottles into new product . Overall the process is cyclical and consist into nine main stages . behning with the collection of waste bottels and ending with the production of new items made frome recycled material.
The process start when people put used plastic bottels in collection bin . A scrap collecter transport the bottels to the recycling center using a truck . At the center, the bottels are first stored a manually into recyclable and non- recyclable items .
Next, the bottels are compressing into blocks then the next step is crushing . Therfore the plastic bottels crushed using machine . After that the crushing matterial forward in the water box for washing .
Moreover, there is a Plastic pellets machine which is used to producing the plactic pellets after that used the heating machine to heat pellets and convert into the usefull raw matrial .
Lastly the raw material is completed . Finally , this raw matreial used for producing end product such as plastic bags, containers etc. These new product are then placed back in the collection binS, completing the recycling loop.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all stages of the recycling process, from collection to the production of new items. The overview is clear, identifying the cyclical nature of the process and the number of stages. However, the description of the stages is somewhat mechanical and lacks a cohesive flow between the steps. While the main features are reported, the response would benefit from more precise descriptions of the machinery and the transformation of materials, as some steps, such as the 'water box' and 'plastic pellets machine', are described with limited detail. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, but the development of ideas remains somewhat basic.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the process. Cohesive devices such as 'Next', 'Moreover', and 'Lastly' are used to signal the progression of the stages. However, there is a reliance on simple, repetitive transitions, and some sentences feel disconnected. The use of referencing is occasionally unclear, and the paragraphing, while present, could be more effectively used to group related stages of the process. The overall progression is logical, but the mechanical nature of the linking words prevents a higher score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe the recycling process. However, there are frequent spelling errors such as 'behning', 'bottels', 'frome', 'matrial', and 'matreial'. These errors are noticeable and detract from the professional tone required for an Academic Task 1. While the student attempts to use process-specific vocabulary like 'recyclable', 'crushing', and 'raw material', the range is limited and lacks the sophistication needed for higher bands. Word choice is occasionally imprecise, such as 'crushing matterial' instead of 'crushed material'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and some attempt at complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('The diagram illustrate', 'process... consist into'), incorrect verb forms ('are compressing', 'are first stored a manually'), and missing articles. These errors are persistent and occasionally impede the flow of reading. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of control over basic grammatical structures and punctuation limits the score. More attention to verb tenses and sentence construction is required.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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