Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-15
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 illustrates how plastic bottles are recycled.
The recycling of plastic bottles consists on 8 stages, commencing with collecting the waste bottles from bins and ending with the production of finished fabric, shopping bag, stationery and new bottles.
Initially, bottles in the form of the waste is collected from bins and transported to the designated recycling centre. In these centers, the waste items are sorted. The bottles that can be recycled are separated manually. After this, compression process started in which the bottles are pressed and converted into blocks. These blocks then brought to crushers where they are crushed into small pieces. Following step is to wash the crushed waste and produce plastic pellets. At the next stage is to heat the pellets and raw material was made. At the end, the raw material is used to manufacture various finished products including clothings, shopping bags, pencils and plastic containers.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student addresses all parts of the prompt by summarising the process shown in the diagram. An overview is provided in the second sentence, identifying the start and end points of the recycling loop. The main stages are reported chronologically, moving from collection through sorting, compressing, crushing, washing, pelletising, and heating to final production. However, there is a slight miscount of the stages, stating there are 8 stages when the diagram depicts 9 numbered steps, and some details are slightly imprecise (for example, the text states 'bottles in the form of the waste is collected', which contains grammatical awkwardness). Nevertheless, all key process steps are accurately captured and presented logically, fulfilling the requirements for a Band 6.5 to 7.0 range.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is arranged logically in a clear overall progression, following the sequential flow of the diagram from beginning to end. Cohesive devices and time linkers such as 'Initially', 'After this', 'Following step', and 'At the end' are used to guide the reader through the various stages of the process. Paragraphing is minimal, with an introduction and a single large body paragraph. While the flow is generally understandable, breaking the long body paragraph into two separate paragraphs would improve readability and structural clarity. Referencing is mostly clear, though referencing pronouns could be smoother.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing a process, incorporating terms such as 'transported', 'sorted', 'compression process', 'crushers', 'plastic pellets', and 'manufacture'. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, but also noticeable word-form and collocation errors, such as 'consists on' instead of 'consists of', 'bottles in the form of the waste is collected', and 'compression process started' (tense inconsistency). Spelling is generally accurate, but the lexical inaccuracies prevent the score from reaching higher bands.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writing includes a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as relative clauses and passive constructions like 'are sorted' and 'are crushed'. However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasing throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('bottles... is collected'), tense shifts ('compression process started'), and missing articles ('Following step' instead of 'The following step', 'raw material was made' instead of 'raw material is created'). These errors occasionally distract the reader, though they do not completely impede communication.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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