Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-19
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 cyclic process diagram depicts the stages for recycling plastic bottles.
Overall, by observing the process it can be stated that recycling plastic bottles consists of 9 stages which starting from collecting unwanted plastic and ending with recycled products. However, some of this items may later discarded or re-enter to the process.
To begin with, the unwanted plastic materials are stored in can before being collected by the truck, and transported to the recycling center. Further stage, unlikely recycle bottles are sorted by hand and anu bottle unsuitable for recycling are removed. The selected bottles are compressed and converted into blocks. In teg next stage, blocks crushed by using crusher before being subsequently washed by water.
Furthermore, washed material undergo to machine to convert into plastic pellets before being heated in the typical temperature. In the further stage, heated raw material will now be packed into bags and tranfer to the industry. Finally, multiple recycled items including clothes, cans, bottles produced by using raw materials. ones this products have been used then some will be discarded or re-enter into recycling process.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student successfully identifies the main features and stages of the plastic bottle recycling process, covering the cycle from collection to the production of end products and eventual disposal or re-entry into the loop. The overview highlights the total number of stages and the cyclical nature of the process. While some minor descriptive details are slightly imprecise, such as mentioning "cans" or "clothes" alongside plastic items, the overall mechanical sequence is accurately reported. The task is addressed competently, satisfying the requirements for a Band 6.5 or 6, as all parts of the visual data are covered with a clear general outline.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into four paragraphs, providing a logical progression from introduction to overview and the sequence of stages. Cohesive devices are employed to guide the reader through the process, such as "To begin with", "Further stage", and "Finally". However, some transitions are awkward or misused, for instance "Further stage, unlikely recycle bottles" and "ones this products", which detracts from the fluency. Paragraphing is adequate, but referencing and logical flow occasionally falter due to mechanical or inaccurate cohesive links, placing this text firmly in the Band 6 category.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range suitable for describing a process, incorporating terms like "cyclic process", "transported", "compressed", "crushed", and "plastic pellets". However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as "unlikely recycle bottles" instead of "unsuitable bottles", "in teg next stage", and "tranfer to the industry". Spelling and morphological errors occur ("anu", "undergo to", "tranfer"), though they generally do not impede overall communication. The lexical range is sufficient for the task but lacks precision.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting passive structures like "are sorted", "are compressed", and "are produced". However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several structural errors, missing prepositions, and tense or agreement issues, such as "stages which starting", "some of this items may later discarded", and "ones this products have been used then some will be discarded". Punctuation and verb phrasing errors occur frequently enough to cause occasional difficulty for the reader, aligning with the Band 5 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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