Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-14
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 4.5)
The diagram demonstrate the process for recycling a wide range of plastic bottles.
As an overall trend, it could be seen that the diagram demonstrate how plastic bottles are recycled. There are 9 stages of recycling a wide range of plastic bottles. Firstly people utilized bin to throw the bottles whereas, after the 8 arrounds the end products producing in it.
Accoording to the given diagram, it is crystal clear that, for recycling a wide range of plastic bottles to throw into the bins, then recycling truck takes all the bottles for the next process into the recycling centre where all products are sorting whereas, all sorting products comprerssing into small blocks and to throw into the crusher for the crushing. Moreover after 5 stages crushing products to clean something and producing plastic pellets in the machine and then it stings heating pellet outside the machine into the form of raw material.
In contrast, it could be seen that after this 7 process raw material are get ready to producing end products for the sale.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.0 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student attempts to describe the process for recycling plastic bottles, identifying several key stages such as throwing bottles into bins, collection by recycling trucks, sorting, compressing, crushing, cleaning, and producing plastic pellets. However, the overview is repetitive and largely restates the prompt without clearly summarising the main trends. Furthermore, some parts of the description are vague or inaccurate regarding the sequence of steps, such as mentioning 'after the 8 arrounds' and 'stings heating pellet outside the machine'. Overall, the task is only partially addressed, leading to an under-developed response that lacks a clear, cohesive summary of the overall process.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.5
The response shows some organisational structure by breaking the description into paragraphs, but there is no clear overall progression or logical flow. Cohesive devices are either misused or absent, resulting in awkward and confusing transitions between sentences, such as 'whereas, after the 8 arrounds the end products producing in it' and 'Moreover after 5 stages crushing products to clean something'. Paragraphing is also poorly handled, with arbitrary divisions that do not reflect logical shifts in the process. Referencing is frequently unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the sequence of events.
Lexical Resource — Band 4.0
The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive, with frequent reliance on words from the prompt like 'process', 'recycling', 'plastic', and 'bottles'. There are numerous word choice errors and incorrect collocations, such as 'comprerssing into small blocks', 'crushing products to clean something', and 'stings heating pellet'. Spelling errors are also present, including 'demonstrate' (used as a singular verb with a plural subject 'diagram'), 'arrounds', 'Accoording', 'sorting', and 'comprerssing'. The range of vocabulary is limited and frequently impedes clear communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0
The student struggles significantly with basic grammatical structures. There are numerous severe errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('The diagram demonstrate', 'products producing'), incorrect verb forms ('people utilized bin to throw the bottles whereas, after the 8 arrounds the end products producing in it'), and run-on sentences with tangled clauses ('Accoording to the given diagram, it is crystal clear that, for recycling a wide range of plastic bottles to throw into the bins, then recycling truck takes all the bottles...'). Complex structures are attempted but are consistently faulty. Frequent errors cause substantial difficulty for the reader.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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