Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-18

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 diagram illustrates the method for recycling plastic botttels.

Overall, the wasted plastic bottels are collect and transport to the recycling company.Afterward, it passes through a distinct steps to make it raw materials.These materials are uses in made different products for the daily life consumption.

Initially, the bottel was collect from the dust bins and load in a truck.The truck transported these botttels to recycling organization where the bottels in good condition are seperate from the bad.After that, these bottels are compressed in a blocks.Afterwards, it passes through a machine to crush it into small pieces. The next step is to washes the crushed materials and makes plastic pallets using a machine.

The next stage is to heating these pallets to make the raw materials. Then these materials are pack and send for making different things from it. The things which are make from it are the clothes, pencils, boxes, shopping bags and bottels.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student successfully identifies the main stages of the recycling process, beginning with the collection of plastic bottles and concluding with the production of end-products. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, outlining the overall journey from waste collection to raw material and manufacturing. While all key steps—sorting, compressing, crushing, washing, pelletising, and heating—are mentioned in sequence, some minor details are described rather simply. However, the essential information and comparisons required for an Academic Task 1 response are present, fulfilling the criteria at a Band 6.0 level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into four paragraphs, following a logical progression from introduction to overview, body stages, and final products. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Afterward', 'Initially', and 'Afterwards' are used to signal the sequence of steps, although some transitions feel a bit repetitive or mechanical (e.g., the frequent use of 'After that' and 'The next stage'). Paragraphing is appropriately handled, separating the introduction/overview from the detailed steps, which ensures an overall coherent arrangement that is relatively easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The student attempts a range of vocabulary relevant to the topic, such as 'recycling company', 'raw materials', 'compressed', and 'crush'. However, there are numerous spelling errors throughout the text, including 'botttels' instead of bottles, 'collect' instead of collected, 'transport' instead of transported, 'seperate', 'washes', 'heating', and 'pack'. These lexical and spelling inaccuracies are noticeable and occasionally distract the reader, though communication is not severely impeded, placing this response firmly in the Band 5.0 range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'The truck transported these botttels to recycling organization where the bottels in good condition are seperate from the bad.' However, grammatical accuracy is weak, with frequent errors in verb forms, tense consistency, and subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'the wasted plastic bottels are collect', 'it passes through a distinct steps', 'these materials are uses in made'). Punctuation and word form errors are persistent throughout the response, which limits the control of grammar and places it at a Band 5.0 level.

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