Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
The diagram illustrates the information about the whole process for recycling plastic bottles. This process is taken out in almost 9 stages. Overall at the end the waste bottles are recycled into new items.
Firstly, all the bottles are collected in recycle bin. After that a truck gather all the plastic from bins and carry them to recycling centre. Where the staff sorting out all the items. Furthermore, the sorted items are compressed into blocks by high pressure machines. As proceding the process the compresssed blocks are crushed through a crushing machine. After that crushed material is washed and pass to a machine. Where the material is converted intio plastic pellets.
After that the pallets are heated to form raw material. And the raw material is further processed and use to make different new items and products. That are again used. And moreover it help us to keep our enviroment clean.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student attempts to summarise the entire nine-stage process of recycling plastic bottles, meeting the minimum word count requirement of 150 words. Most of the key stages from collection to the production of end products are mentioned, such as sorting, compressing, crushing, washing, pelletising, and heating. However, the response suffers from some under-development and includes extraneous personal commentary at the end ('And moreover it help us to keep our enviroment clean'), which is not part of the diagram. The overview provided in the introduction and conclusion is simplistic. The reporting of data is mostly accurate according to the visual reference, but lacks precise transitional depth, earning a band score of 5.5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text exhibits a basic level of organisation, breaking the process down into sequential steps using transition words like 'Firstly', 'After that', and 'Furthermore'. However, paragraphing is poorly handled, with the main body compressed into a single dense paragraph, and the second paragraph consisting of fragmented, disconnected sentences. Cohesive devices are sometimes used mechanically or inaccurately, such as starting sentences with conjunctions like 'And' and 'As proceding the process'. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and overall progression lacks smooth, logical flow, leading to a band score of 5.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, with domain-specific terms like 'recycle bin', 'recycling centre', 'compressed into blocks', 'crushing machine', and 'plastic pellets' successfully employed. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors, such as 'taken out' instead of 'carried out', 'gather' instead of 'gathers', 'sorting out' instead of 'sort', 'intio', 'pallets' instead of 'pellets', and 'enviroment'. The range is limited and repetition of phrases like 'After that' reduces lexical flexibility. This performance corresponds to a band score of 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but attempts at complex structures often feature grammatical errors. Examples include 'This process is taken out in almost 9 stages', 'Where the staff sorting out all the items' (fragment), and 'And the raw material is further processed and use to make'. Punctuation is faulty, particularly with sentence fragments starting with relative adverbs or conjunctions. Frequent errors in verb forms, subject-verb agreement, and tense consistency cause some difficulty for the reader, justifying a band score of 5.0.
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.