Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-21
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 diagram illustrates the process of recycling plastic bottles.
Overall, there are eight different stages of process, beginning with people putting the bottles into the recycling bins and lastly the raw material are used to manufacture the end product.
Firstly, people put the used bottles into the recycle bins. Truck collecting waste and go from the recycling centre. These waste is separated into two different boxes and apply the sorting process. After sorting, bottles are compressed into blocks. Next, blocks are crushed in the two rotating grinder and producing small plastic pellets and it is washing into water drum and then drying the pellets. Heating the plastic pellets to form raw material through the machine. Next stage, Raw material shaping the blocks and packing to the wooden rack for the further processing. Lastly, the raw material are used to manufacture the different product such as plastic bottles, plastic boxes and pencils.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student successfully covers all the main stages of the plastic bottle recycling process, from the initial collection in bins to the manufacturing of end products. The overview statement correctly captures the nature of the process and its starting and ending points. However, some minor details in the sequence are slightly confused or conflated, such as the placement of washing and crushing in the description. Ideas are relevant and supported by the visual data, though the text would benefit from a slightly more cohesive overview of the cyclical nature of the diagram. Overall, the response fulfills the requirements of Task 1 adequately, earning a solid band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized chronologically, utilizing sequential transition words such as 'Firstly', 'After sorting', 'Next', and 'Lastly' to guide the reader through the diagram. Paragraphing is minimal, with the entire body text lumped into a single block alongside the introduction, which limits the higher-band score. Furthermore, some cohesive devices feel mechanical and referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in sentences like 'Truck collecting waste and go from the recycling centre.' Despite these structural shortcomings, there is a logical progression from start to finish that allows the reader to follow the steps without excessive difficulty.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting less common items such as 'manufacture', 'compressed', and 'pellets'. However, there are notable limitations and awkward word choices, such as 'Truck collecting waste and go' and 'it is washing into water drum'. Word formation errors also appear, including 'raw material are' (subject-verb agreement combined with lexical control issues). While communication is generally maintained, the frequency of lexical and collocational inaccuracies prevents the response from reaching Band 6.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writing contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but grammatical control is weak. There are several noticeable errors, such as 'the raw material are used', 'These waste is separated', and 'Raw material shaping the blocks'. Missing articles and incorrect verb forms ('is washing' instead of 'is washed') occur frequently. Although some sentences are constructed correctly, the density of grammatical slips impacts readability and places the performance firmly in the Band 5.0 category.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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