Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-20
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 4.5)
The given process for recycling plastic bottles.
This process involves 9 steps in total, The first step is throwing garrabage into the bin then, is transported to the truck in order to reach the recycling centre for the process of sorting afterwards is compressed into blocks afterwards the garrabage is tend to be crushed subsequently, the crushed garrabage is washed, after that plastic pellets are produced moving forward pellets are heated in order to form raw material, after this raw material is packed , afterwards, the last but not the least end products for example, bottles, pencils, pollybags etc are prepared.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.0 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, containing only 101 words. This severely limits the candidate's ability to fully develop the response. While the overview outlines the nine steps of the recycling process, the description is overly simplistic and lacks sufficient detail or comparison. The introduction is incomplete, presented as a fragment: "The given process for recycling plastic bottles." Furthermore, the information is presented in a single, block paragraph without a proper introduction or clear development of individual stages, negatively impacting the overall task completion and resulting in a lower band score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0
The entire response consists of a single, run-on sentence connected by a chain of sequential markers such as "then", "afterwards", and "subsequently". There is no paragraphing used to structure the response or group the stages logically. This creates a monotonous and difficult reading experience. While cohesive devices are present, they are heavily overused and mechanically strung together rather than carefully managed to create natural progression. Referencing and logical organization are weak due to the lack of clear sentence boundaries and punctuation.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive, relying heavily on simple terms like "process", "step", and repeating "garrabage" multiple times with spelling errors. There are also typographical errors such as "pollybags". The range of vocabulary is limited and minimally adequate for the task, with few attempts at less common lexical items related to manufacturing or recycling, except for basic terms like "plastic pellets" and "raw material".
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0
The grammar is characterized by severe structural issues. The opening sentence is a fragment rather than a complete clause. The rest of the 101-word text is written as a massive run-on sentence joined incorrectly by commas and consecutive transition words (comma splices). There is a lack of control over complex sentence structures, and punctuation is largely absent or misused. Frequent errors in sentence boundary demarcation cause significant difficulty for the reader.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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