Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-27
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 5.0)
The illustration gives information about the recycling process of the plastic bottles. Overall, by recycling process of the plastic, there are several different plastic things are produced.
It is quite evident from the diagram that the first step is to through the waste of bottles in the dustbin. This waste of bottles collected from dustbin by a van. The van through this waste in the recycling centre. When a big amount of bottle's waste is collected, then all the waste is compressed into two blocks. Now, the compressed waste passes through two wheels. This process is called crushing.
Furthermore, this crushed waste is washed by chemicals, and entered in a machine to produce plastic pallets. These pallets are heated at a high temprature to form raw material. This raw material is used to create different things like plastic bags, shirts, plastic boxes, platic bottles and pencils. This is a chain process.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The student successfully identifies the main purpose of the diagram, which is the recycling process of plastic bottles. The response covers all the key stages of the process, from throwing bottles into a bin to producing end products. However, the overview is extremely weak and fails to effectively summarise the main features of the cyclic process, consisting merely of a basic repetitive sentence. Furthermore, there are some minor misreadings of the diagram, such as stating the waste is compressed into 'two blocks' rather than being compressed into blocks generally. Despite these limitations, the overall progression of the process is adequately traced. Therefore, this performance meets the criteria for Band 5.0, where the task is addressed, but details and overview development are limited.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response is divided into three brief paragraphs, attempting a rudimentary structure with an introduction, body, and conclusion. However, the logical progression is hindered by poor paragraphing and repetitive sentence structures. Cohesive devices are basic and sometimes mechanically applied, such as 'Furthermore' and 'Now'. Reference words are occasionally unclear or repetitive, as seen with 'This waste of bottles' and 'This raw material'. There is a lack of smooth transitions between the distinct stages of the cycle, resulting in a somewhat disjointed reading experience. Overall organisation is present, but cohesion is faulty and mechanical, aligning well with the Band 5.0 descriptors.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is relatively basic and repetitive throughout the response. The student relies heavily on words like 'waste', 'bottles', 'plastic', and 'process'. There are noticeable lexical errors and inappropriate word choices, such as 'through' instead of 'throw', 'temprature' (spelling error), and 'pallets' instead of 'pellets'. Less common lexical items are attempted with varying degrees of success, but inaccuracies cause some confusion, such as referring to 'two wheels' instead of rotating gears/crushing equipment. The lexical range is limited and minimally adequate for the task, which corresponds directly to a Band 5.0 score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student demonstrates a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying mostly on simple sentences joined by basic coordinating conjunctions. There are frequent grammatical errors, including verb form and preposition issues, such as 'is to through the waste' (infinitive/verb confusion), 'collected from dustbin' (missing article), and 'entered in a machine' (incorrect preposition). Complex sentence structures are rare and often faulty. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but frequent errors in basic grammar and word formation cause some difficulty for the reader. This performance reflects the characteristics of Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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