Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-17
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 given process chart illustrates the information regarding how plastic bottles is recycled.
Overall, it is vivid that it contain multi-steps,start with sorting in centre to converting into raw material for producing products.
To start with, when people use bottles they put the waste into recycling bin. After that, a truck transfer that waste into recycling centre and there the bottles are sorting in box by workers.Then which bottles are good it compressing into big blocks of waste.The blocks put in crushing machine where the blocks convert into crush.
Moving further, the crush put into a big box.Then it was washing by water and put in second deffrent machine where the start the producing plastic pellets. After that, the pellets are put under the heat to form raw material form it. The raw material is used for produce deffrent products such as clothes ,pencils,bags and other plastic product like bottels and box.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers all the main stages of the recycling process depicted in the diagram, from disposal and sorting through to washing, pellet production, and the creation of end products. The student successfully identifies the circular nature of the process. However, some details are slightly imprecise or under-developed, such as the exact mechanisms of heating and shaping raw materials. The overview sentence is also somewhat repetitive and simplistic ('it is vivid that it contain multi-steps'). Nevertheless, all key parts of the task are addressed, and the progression is successfully traced. This places the response comfortably at Band 5.5 to 6.0; owing to the coverage of the entire diagram, a score of 6.0 is appropriate.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text is organized into four paragraphs: an introduction, an overall statement, and two body paragraphs describing the steps. Cohesive devices such as 'To start with', 'After that', and 'Moving further' are used to sequence the stages chronologically. However, paragraphing is unconventional (the overview is combined with the second sentence of the introduction in a disjointed manner), and referencing is sometimes faulty ('the crush put into a big box', where pronouns and reference words are omitted or awkward). Logical progression is present, but the transitions and mechanical cohesion place this at a Band 5.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting process-related terms such as 'recycling bin', 'sorting', 'compressing into big blocks', 'crushing machine', and 'plastic pellets'. However, there are frequent word-form and word-choice errors, such as 'bottles is recycled' (agreement), 'contain multi-steps', 'deffrent' (spelling), and awkward collocations like 'form raw material form it'. The lexical vocabulary is limited and repetitive, with noticeable errors that occasionally hinder smooth reading, aligning with Band 5.0 descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and basic active forms. Attempts at complex or passive structures often result in noticeable errors, such as 'the bottles are sorting in box', 'Then which bottles are good it compressing', and 'Then it was washing by water'. Punctuation is also weak, with missing spaces after commas and periods. Frequent grammatical errors cause some difficulty for the reader and demonstrate weak control over basic syntactic rules, corresponding to a Band 4.5 to 5.0 score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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