Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-03

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 5.0)

The diagram below illustrates the procedure for reuse of plastic bottles.

Overall the plastic bottles go through the particular process to make them able to reuse.

First of all the bottles were collected in a dustbin, obviously locals throw them then a garbage truck arrives and collect all the bottles from dustbins afterwards bottles reached at recycling center where employs their sort them in a particular order and differentiate the good ones and the bad ones after that bottles got pressed in hydraulic press machine then another machine crushes them inti small pieces towards that bottles got washed and produced then get heated pallets to form raw material, once raw material is made then it will be used produce end products like for t shirts, pencils, lunch boxes and other daily routine things after that the same procedure repeats again and agin.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers the main stages of the recycling process, but it fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words. Because the response is under-length, it is penalized under Task Achievement. Furthermore, the description lacks a clear overview or summary of the process, which is essential for a Band 6 or higher. The writing is essentially a single long paragraph, which makes it difficult to follow the logical progression of the stages. To improve, ensure you write at least 150 words and include a clear introductory overview that summarizes the main stages of the process.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is written as a single, dense block of text, which lacks appropriate paragraphing. There is a lack of logical organization; the ideas are presented in a 'run-on' fashion without clear transitions between the different stages of the recycling process. While some cohesive devices like 'First of all' and 'after that' are used, they are repetitive and mechanical. The lack of sentence boundaries makes the text difficult to read and follow. To improve, use clear paragraphing to separate the introduction, the main body stages, and the conclusion, and use a wider variety of linking words to connect your ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. Phrases like 'particular process', 'particular order', and 'daily routine things' are vague and lack the precision required for an academic report. There are also some spelling errors, such as 'inti' instead of 'into' and 'agin' instead of 'again'. The use of 'employs' instead of 'employees' is a significant word-choice error. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise technical vocabulary related to industrial processes, such as 'sorted', 'compressed', 'shredded', and 'raw materials'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response consists almost entirely of a single, long, run-on sentence. This lack of punctuation (periods and commas) makes the grammar difficult to assess, as it obscures the structure of the sentences. There are frequent errors in verb tense and subject-verb agreement, such as 'bottles were collected' (should be present tense for a process) and 'bottles reached at' (incorrect preposition). The range of grammatical structures is very limited, relying on simple conjunctions rather than complex sentence forms. You must focus on using full stops to separate ideas and ensuring consistent tense usage.

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

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