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 collect waste and goen 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 grinders and producing small plastic pellets and it is washed into water drum and then drying the pellets. Heating the plastic pellets to form raw material through the machine. Next stage, the material shaping blocks and packed 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

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student successfully identifies the main purpose of the diagram, which outlines the multi-stage process of recycling plastic bottles. The overview mentions that there are several stages beginning with collection and ending with manufactured end products. Most key steps in the cycle are covered, such as sorting, compressing, crushing, washing, and pelletising. However, there are minor inaccuracies in sequencing and description, such as stating that blocks are crushed into small pellets directly by rotating grinders, whereas the diagram shows washing and pelletising occurring as distinct subsequent steps. Furthermore, the final stage loops back to the beginning, which is only partially captured. Overall, the response addresses the prompt adequately and covers the main features, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response has a coherent overall arrangement and follows a chronological sequence from the beginning to the end of the recycling process. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'After sorting', 'Next', and 'Lastly' are used to guide the reader through the stages. However, paragraphing is weak, as the entire body of the response is crammed into a single block of text alongside the introduction. Additionally, referencing is sometimes unclear, for instance using 'These waste' (plural/singular mismatch) and repetitive sentence structures ('Next, blocks...', 'Next stage...'). Because the logical flow is present but paragraphing is absent and cohesion is somewhat mechanical, a Band 6 score is appropriate.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing a process, incorporating terms such as 'recycling centre', 'sorting', 'compressed', 'crushed', 'pellets', and 'manufacture'. However, there are noticeable lexical and word-choice errors throughout the text, such as 'Truck collect waste and goen' (tense and spelling error), 'apply the sorting process' (awkward collocation), and 'water drum' instead of a washing tank or bath. Less common vocabulary is attempted with mixed accuracy, and some phrasing feels translational rather than natural. These errors do not impede overall communication, placing the response firmly at Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar is inconsistent. There are several noticeable grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('raw material are', 'Truck collect') and tense shifts ('goen', 'is washed', 'drying the pellets'). Punctuation and clause connection are also problematic in run-on sentences like 'Next, blocks are crushed in the two rotating grinders and producing small plastic pellets and it is washed into water drum and then drying the pellets.' While the meaning remains mostly clear despite these errors, the high frequency of grammatical slips prevents the response from reaching Band 6.5 or 7.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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