Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-29

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)

There is a visulal regarding the recycling of the plastic bottle and their usage in the daily life after that. It can clearly seen that the mechanised way developed to dispose off and then to catagrise in a well amnner to reuse the material in a beneficial way.

First of all, it can observed that the daily throwned garbage is kep in the basket or dust bin and then it will be picked by the muncipal truck and then calibrated according to the class or family where the bin belongs for the future usage in a initial collection centre, additionally, this sorted garbage then converted into the large blocks which are compressed by the machines for further processing like just after the above procedure these bundles just converted into tiny pieces by the crushing process and then washed for removing extra dirt and to maintain the hygiene. Moreover, after crushing and washing the product is then hand over to the machine unit where this material is changed into plastic shape and then processed at specific temperature to produce the raw material in different size and colors in the shape of palletes. At the end, these palletes will convert into the desired shape or products. These products then available in the market in the form of bottles for liquids, clothsa dn other daily using products.

Overall, it can clealry seen that the proper processing can mitigate the problem of damping off the plastic in the ocean and other large places as it will also reduce the pollution caused by the use of the excessive palstic

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The student attempts to cover all stages of the process diagram, from discarding bottles to the creation of end products. However, the response suffers from significant weaknesses in structure and development. While the cyclical nature of the process is mentioned implicitly, the overview is weak, lacking a clear summary of the main stages (collection, sorting, mechanical processing, and manufacturing). Furthermore, the explanation becomes somewhat convoluted in the middle stages. For instance, the transition from washing to pellet production is awkwardly phrased ('hand over to the machine unit where this material is changed into plastic shape'). While the main features are touched upon, the lack of a distinct paragraph for an overview and the presence of vague descriptions restrict the score to Band 5.5.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response is hindered by a lack of proper paragraphing. The main body consists of one exceptionally long, run-on sentence that spans the entire middle section of the essay, making it extremely difficult to follow the progression of the steps. Although transitional markers like 'First of all', 'additionally', and 'At the end' are used, they are inadequate to tie together such a massive, poorly punctuated block of text. Cohesive devices are often mechanical or misused, and referencing is frequently unclear, leading to a breakdown in logical flow. The overarching organisation fails to establish a clear introduction, body, and conclusion structure, which pulls the coherence score down to a Band 5.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting some less common words such as 'mechanised', 'calibrated', 'hygiene', and 'palletes'. However, there are frequent spelling errors ('visulal', 'catagrise', 'amnner', 'trowned', 'kep', 'muncipal', 'clothsa', 'clealry', 'palstic') and occasional word choice inaccuracies ('daily throwned garbage', 'hand over to the machine'). These errors occasionally impede readability and detract from the overall precision required for higher bands. Despite these limitations, the vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the general meaning of the process, aligning well with the Band 5.5 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The text displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, heavily relying on continuous, unending compound-complex sentences linked by coordinating conjunctions like 'and' rather than controlled subordination and punctuation. There is a frequent lack of full stops, resulting in massive run-on sentences. Grammatical errors are numerous and systemic, including tense inconsistencies ('it can observed', 'is kep', 'will be picked'), missing auxiliary verbs, and faulty passive constructions ('these bundles just converted', 'these palletes will convert'). These persistent errors cause significant difficulty for the reader and prevent the text from achieving a Band 6.0, placing it firmly at Band 5.0.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.