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 given diagram shows the process of recycling plastic bottles. According to the diagram, recycling process of plastic bottles include nine steps starting from dicarding the plastic bottle to producing products.
In the first step plastic bottles are collected in thre large bins. After collecting the bottles, bottles are sent to the recycling centers through the trucks. In recycling center, bottles are first sorted then these bottles are compressed in to blocks. These compressed bottles are then crushed in to small pieces by a certain process. After that these crused pieces are washed.
The sixth step includes the production of plastic pellets. In this step the crushed pieces of bottles are converted in to the plastic pellets. Then the plastic pellets are heated at certain temperature to form raw material.
In the last step, raw material is used to produce specific products. Thats how the bottles are recycled and reused.
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 response successfully covers all the main steps of the plastic bottle recycling process, spanning from the initial disposal of bottles by consumers to the final production of end products. The student outlines the sequence in chronological order, mentioning sorting, compressing, crushing, washing, pellet production, heating, and raw material creation. However, the summary tends to rely heavily on simple recounting without fully extending or comparing features where relevant. While the overview captures the general nine-step loop, minor details like the specific rejection of certain items during sorting are omitted. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, fitting the Band 6 descriptor for covering the main parts of the process, though some stages could be more fully synthesised.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The text presents a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical chronological progression that mirrors the steps in the diagram. Paragraphing is used to separate the introduction from the body steps and the conclusion. However, cohesive devices are somewhat mechanical and repetitive, relying on transitions like 'In the first step', 'After collecting the bottles', 'After that', and 'In the last step'. Referencing is generally clear, but the lack of more sophisticated conjunctions and discourse markers keeps cohesion at a standard level. Paragraphing is basic but appropriate for a short process description.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully employing process-related terms such as 'recycling centers', 'compressed', 'crushed', 'plastic pellets', and 'raw material'. However, there are several noticeable spelling errors ('dicarding' for discarding, 'thre' for three, 'crused' for crushed) and minor awkwardness in word choice ('recycling process of plastic bottles include' missing an article or pluralisation). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive, which prevents the score from reaching Band 7. Nevertheless, the lexical items used are sufficient to communicate the main ideas clearly without causing significant difficulty for the reader.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'According to the diagram, recycling process of plastic bottles include nine steps starting from dicarding the plastic bottle to producing products.' There are several grammatical errors, including missing prepositions and articles (e.g., 'in recycling center' instead of 'in the recycling center', 'at certain temperature' instead of 'at a certain temperature'), subject-verb agreement issues ('bottles are collected... bottles are sent... bottles are first sorted'), and spelling mistakes. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to restrict the score to Band 5, as complex structures tend to be faulty.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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