Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-16

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)

As the diagram below presents the process for recycling plastic bottles.

The whole process of plastic bottles recycling consist of 9 steps. As the first step involves by throwing plastic bottles into the dustbin and in the last step these bottles are recycled and then yields in multiple products including shirts, pencils, boxes and new bottles etc.

As the diagram demonstrate that firstly the bottles are thrown in the trash bin. Then these are taken by garbage truck. Following this in the third step, the bottles are taken to recycling centre for sorting. Moreover in the fourth step the bottles are then compressed into blocks. Then in the fifth step the blocks are crashed and the crashing material is washed in the container, then in the sixth step the washing material is entered into the machine which then produce plastic pellets. Furthermore, after this in the 7th step the pellets are heated to form raw material. Then this raw material is used to produced end products including shirts, pencils, bags, new bottles and many other things.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response successfully covers all the main stages of the recycling process, from throwing the bottle into the bin to producing end products that complete the loop. The student outlines the sequence in chronological order, capturing key steps such as sorting, compressing, crushing, washing, pelletising, and heating. However, the introduction contains a noticeable error in phrasing ('As the diagram below presents...') and the overview lacks a concise summary of the overall nature of the process (i.e., that it is a cyclical, man-made sequence). While all primary features from the diagram are reported, the development is somewhat mechanical and limited, which prevents the response from achieving a higher band. Nevertheless, the core information required by the prompt is effectively conveyed, satisfying the basic requirements of Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The text demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement by following the numbered stages of the diagram sequentially. Cohesive devices are employed to guide the reader through the steps, such as 'Then', 'Following this', 'Moreover', and 'Furthermore'. However, the paragraphing is weak; the entire body of text—barring the opening fragment—is crammed into a single block of text rather than being divided into a logical introduction and overview followed by separate body paragraphs. Furthermore, the overuse of transitional words like 'Then' at the start of multiple sentences creates a repetitive and somewhat mechanical progression. Referencing is generally clear, but the lack of structural separation impacts the overall readability and organizational score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe actions such as 'compressed into blocks', 'crushed', 'washed', and 'heating pellets'. However, there are notable lexical and collocational errors throughout the response, such as 'consist of 9 steps' (instead of consists), 'yields in multiple products' (instead of yields multiple products or results in), 'crashed' instead of crushed, and 'washing material' instead of washed material. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive, relying heavily on basic terms found directly in the prompt or diagram. Less common vocabulary is attempted with variable accuracy, placing the response firmly in the Band 5.5 to 6.0 range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar is inconsistent. There are several grammatical errors and awkward syntactic structures, notably the opening sentence fragment: 'As the diagram below presents the process for recycling plastic bottles.' Other errors include subject-verb agreement issues ('consist' instead of consists), preposition misuse ('involves by throwing'), and awkward participial phrases ('the crashing material', 'the washing material'). Punctuation is generally functional, but run-on clauses and comma splices occasionally occur. While the meaning remains mostly clear despite these errors, the frequency of grammatical slips prevents the score from reaching Band 6.0.

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