Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-07

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)

This is the information about plastic bottles recycled.

There are 9 parts to recycled plastic bottles. The first process is recycle bin and ends to the raw material.

First, We use the plastic bottles and we we trough it to nearly recycled bin. The factoary car come and pick these plastic bottles. Then the plastic is restore in the recycling center. Then the machine compressing the plastic into the blocks. Blocks crushing into the small pieces. Then the small pieces put another machine and the machine producing plastic pellets. When the process is complete when its plastic go to next process. The next process is heating pellets. when the plastic pellets into the heating wave this plastic turns into the raw material. And the final process is the raw material. And the end of this all process plastic this plastic is able to use. And factaory producing products like bottles and the plastic box. This is the process how to recycles plastic and trun into products.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to describe the process of recycling plastic bottles, but it lacks a clear overview of the main stages. While it identifies the beginning and end of the cycle, the description is overly focused on a step-by-step narrative rather than summarizing the key features or making meaningful comparisons. The information is presented in a somewhat disjointed manner, and the summary of the process is not fully developed. To improve, you should provide a clear introductory summary of the entire cycle and group the steps logically rather than listing them in a simple, repetitive sequence.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is organized into a single, very long paragraph, which makes it difficult to follow. While there is a basic chronological progression, the use of cohesive devices is repetitive and mechanical, relying heavily on 'Then' and 'The next process'. There is a lack of sophisticated linking words to connect ideas smoothly. Referencing is also inconsistent, such as in the phrase 'when its plastic go to next process', which is unclear. To achieve a higher band, you should use paragraphing to separate the stages of the process and employ a wider variety of linking words to improve the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive, often relying on basic terms like 'machine', 'process', and 'plastic'. There are several errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'trough' instead of 'throw', 'factoary' for 'factory', and 'trun' for 'turn'. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to describe the technical aspects of the recycling process with precision. To improve, you should focus on learning topic-specific vocabulary related to industrial processes, such as 'collection', 'shredding', 'granulation', and 'manufacturing', and pay closer attention to spelling and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'machine compressing', 'factory producing'), incorrect verb forms (e.g., 'trough it'), and missing articles or prepositions. The sentence structures are mostly simple, with very few attempts at complex sentences. When complex structures are attempted, they are often faulty, such as 'When the process is complete when its plastic go to next process'. To improve, you should focus on mastering basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and the correct use of articles.

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.