Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-26

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 4.0)

The diagram illustrates the method for how plastics bottles are recycled. it's consists of 9 initials stages to recycled.

To begin with, we need to buy the plastics bottle drinks from the market then after drinking that we need to collect the bottle in one box rather than throwing in rubbish. then, the collector will collects it from different individuals or take from the dustbin .The bottles will send to recycling centre where they collects the good bottles which helps us in future.

Furthermore, bottle will compressing into blocks then crush them into small pieces and wash them properly . After that, it produces plastics pellets then the pellets will be heating from raw material and with the help of raw materials we produce the different products that is t-shirt, pencil and tiffin box etc.

Overall, the plastic bottles recycling the same process how often we do this then, reusing the unwanted bottles also helps us to provide different products will was very useful for us.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response attempts to describe the process of recycling plastic bottles shown in the diagram. However, the interpretation contains significant errors and inappropriate personal pronouns, shifting into instructions such as 'we need to buy the plastics bottle drinks'. While all nine main stages are touched upon in a sequence, the development is weak, confused, and fails to adopt an appropriate academic report style. The overview provided in the final paragraph is overly simplistic and grammatically flawed. It meets the minimum length requirement of 150 words (containing 166 words), but the overall coverage of task requirements is limited and heavily marred by poor execution.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The response is divided into four paragraphs, which visually mirrors standard essay structure. However, logical progression is frequently disrupted by poor transitions and confusing phrasing, such as 'To begin with, we need to buy...'. Cohesive devices are used awkwardly or repetitively (e.g., 'then', 'After that'), creating a mechanical flow rather than a seamless description of a natural cycle. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion within sentences is often weak, making it difficult to follow the precise logical steps of the cyclical diagram.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.0

The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive, heavily relying on words directly taken from or closely related to the prompt (e.g., 'plastics', 'bottles', 'recycling', 'centre', 'blocks'). There are noticeable lexical and word-formation errors throughout the text, such as 'initials stages', 'plastics bottle', and 'heating from raw material'. Less common vocabulary is either missing or misused, causing strain for the reader and restricting the score to the lower bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0

The student demonstrates a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying primarily on simple sentences joined by coordinating conjunctions or punctuation errors. There are frequent and intrusive grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('the collector will collects'), tense inconsistencies, and incorrect verb forms ('bottle will compressing', 'the pellets will be heating'). Punctuation and capitalization are also erratic, with sentences starting with lowercase letters ('it's consists', 'then, the collector'). These errors frequently impede communication and reflect poor control over basic syntax.

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