Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The given diagram illustrates the various steps of the recycling process of plastic bottles and how the bottles are converted into multiple products. The whole procedure is divided into nine steps.
Overall, this is a conversion process of plastic waste into different plastic products, and in fact this procedure starts from collecting of plastic waste to compressing it into blocks, which is followed by crushing, washing, producing pellets, heating pellets to form raw materials, and finally manufacturing end products from raw materials.
A recycle bin is placed to gather the plastic bottles publically, which is followed by the vehicle to transfer this waste to sorting process, where a person is identified the useful bottles. Afterwards, all the compatible bottles is compressed into block and send to crushing process. Two wheels with multiple teeth are placed for the purpose of crushing the plastic blocks into small pieces.
In the sixth step, the obtained pieces are converted into plastic pellets by going through a machine. Now, the pellets are heated to convert in the form of raw materials. In the second last step, the raw material is arranged in up side down, which is used to produce the end products such as bottle, boxes, pencils, a T-shirt and a bag.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student successfully identifies the main stages of the plastic bottle recycling process, covering the nine steps from collection and sorting to the creation of end products. The overview statement effectively outlines the cyclical nature of the process. However, some minor details are described in a slightly colloquial or imprecise way (e.g., 'a person is identified the useful bottles'). Despite this, all parts of the diagram are addressed and the general flow is clearly mapped out, corresponding well to the requirements for Band 6.5 or 7.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into distinct paragraphs, starting with an introduction and overview, followed by body paragraphs detailing the sequential steps. Cohesive devices such as 'which is followed by', 'Afterwards', and 'In the sixth step' are used to guide the reader through the process. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and referencing occasionally lacks precision (e.g., 'gather the plastic bottles publically'). Overall logical progression is maintained throughout, fitting a Band 6.0 descriptor.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range suitable for describing a process diagram, incorporating terms like 'conversion', 'compressing', 'crushing', and 'pellets'. However, there are noticeable word-choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'publically' instead of 'publicly', 'is identified' instead of 'identifies' or 'is tasked with identifying', and 'converted in the form of' instead of 'converted into'. These minor errors do not impede communication, placing the response solidly at Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The text contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses ('which is followed by the vehicle') and passive voice constructions ('the obtained pieces are converted'). There are several grammatical errors and awkward structures, notably 'all the compatible bottles is compressed' (subject-verb agreement), 'send to crushing process' (missing preposition/form), and 'arranged in up side down'. While these errors occur frequently, they do not obscure the overall meaning, warranting a Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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