Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-30

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 4.5)

There is a diagram that describes the process for recycling plastic bottles. Overall, From dustbin to producing the products are made that process describes here.

First of all, when people use dustbin for throwing the waste. after that a truck which collect all the waste from the dustbin and passed to the recycling center. At that center plastic are sorted and sorting iteams are commpressed into the blocks. commpress plastic are crushed through the roller.

next crushing things are washed through the chemical and pass for plastic pellets. Plastic pellets are been crushing into machine and it produce pellets. Then provide heat to the pellets they produce raw materials. Raw material would be use for making new products. after that they produce new material . that product use for selling and after using that product people throw that product as a waste into the dustbin that all process cary on throw the last.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response attempts to describe the process for recycling plastic bottles, covering the general sequence from disposal to the production of new end products. However, the overview is extremely weak and grammatically distorted, reading 'Overall, From dustbin to producing the products are made that process describes here.' While the main stages—sorting, compressing, crushing, washing, pelletising, and producing new products—are mentioned in a sequential manner, the description lacks the precision and formal academic tone required for Task 1. Some details are vague or repetitive, such as 'that product use for selling and after using that product people throw that product as a waste into the dustbin that all process cary on throw the last.' Consequently, the task is addressed only partially, warranting a Band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The text is structured as a single continuous block of text without proper paragraphing, which significantly hinders readability. Cohesive devices are either missing, inadequate, or repetitive, relying heavily on basic linkers and chains of 'and' or 'after that' (e.g., 'First of all', 'after that', 'At that center', 'next', 'Then'). There is a lack of clear overall progression, and referencing is frequently unclear, such as 'that crushing things' or 'that all process cary on throw the last.' While the sequential nature of the process is somewhat preserved by time transition words, the mechanical and faulty use of cohesion places this response firmly at Band 4.5, rounded to 5.0 based on general flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive, with frequent word-choice and morphological errors (e.g., 'dustbin' instead of recycling bin, 'commpressed' instead of compressed, 'iteams' instead of items, 'cary on' instead of carry on). Less common lexical items are attempted but usually misused or misspelled, such as 'pellets are been crushing into machine'. The range of vocabulary is barely adequate to describe the steps of the diagram, causing noticeable strain and difficulty for the reader at times. This reflects the descriptors for Band 4.0 to 4.5, leading to a score of 4.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0

The essay displays a very limited range of grammatical structures. Simple sentences dominate, and attempts at more complex or passive structures are consistently faulty and ungrammatical (e.g., 'From dustbin to producing the products are made that process describes here' and 'Plastic pellets are been crushing into machine'). Punctuation and capitalization are poorly controlled, and frequent errors in verb tense, subject-verb agreement, and word forms distort the meaning and cause difficulty for the reader throughout the response. This performance aligns with a Band 4.0.

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

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