Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
The picture demonstrates the method for recycling plastic bottles.
According to the diagram, There are total nine steps for recycling. In the first step, a man is using wasting box for bottles and in the next step a lorry do gather all bottles from bascket. The third step that a boy is puting the wasting canes in a recycling centre and further the canes are compressing into blocks for crushing and next step that a bottles are crushing in a small pieces and as well as bottles are washing with a clean water so they are purifying due to garbage material. After washing the bottles are producing the plastic pellets and now heating pellets to form raw material. Second last step after heating the raw material have prepared for manufactured the different items for uses of daily basis. In the ending step, due to recycling there are producing the end products in the form of different canes, shirt and bag.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response attempts to cover all nine stages of the plastic bottle recycling process, starting from disposal into a recycling bin through to the production of end products. However, the description is quite literal and repetitive, focusing heavily on individual actions rather than providing a cohesive summary of the main features and trends of the cycle. For instance, the writer states 'in the first step, a man is using wasting box for bottles' instead of describing the initial collection phase. The overview is rudimentary ('There are total nine steps for recycling'). While the sequence of steps is generally followed, the lack of well-selected comparisons or a more sophisticated overview pulls the score down to Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is presented as one continuous block of text without paragraphing, which significantly impacts its visual and structural organisation. Although transition markers are used—such as 'According to the diagram', 'In the first step', and 'In the ending step'—they are mechanical and often grammatically awkward. The overall progression feels like a run-on list of sentences rather than a logically structured report. Referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in phrases like 'the third step that a boy is puting'. Because the text lacks paragraph breaks and proper paragraph-level organisation, it aligns best with Band 5.0 descriptors.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is very basic and often imprecise. The student frequently misuses words or invents unnatural lexical forms, such as 'wasting box' instead of recycling bin, 'bascket' (spelling error for basket), 'canes' instead of bottles, and 'manufactured' instead of manufacturing. Expressions like 'daily basis' are used correctly, but uncommon vocabulary is generally attempted with poor control and noticeable errors (e.g., 'purifying due to garbage material', 'second last step'). These inaccuracies sometimes cause difficulty for the reader, fitting the Band 5.0 profile for lexical resource.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5
Grammatical control is weak throughout the response. The text contains frequent errors in basic structures, subject-verb agreement, and prepositions, such as 'There are total nine steps', 'a lorry do gather', 'a boy is puting', and 'there are producing the end products'. Complex sentence attempts are frequently faulty and awkward, such as 'Second last step after heating the raw material have prepared for manufactured the different items'. Punctuation is basic, and sentence boundaries are sometimes blurred. The high frequency of grammatical errors places this response firmly in Band 4.5, which rounds to Band 5.0 based on general performance or sits strictly at Band 4.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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