Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-01

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 picture below illustrate the procedure for recycling plastic bottles.

In the one hand, plastic bottles thrown by a consumers in dustbin and pickup by transportation garbage car where it will safely send to recycling centre where sorting is held of bottle which unsuitable wastage is removed mechanically. After, all the bottles make joined together and compressing into blocks by a high pressure and been crush into crusher by rotating of two round metal cutter into small particles and wash all the particle of bottle in water, and than producing plastic pellets from the plastic pieces by putting into the machine, and after all the plastic pellets are been heated to form a raw material.

In the other hand, A sheet or rolled of a raw material made from the heated pellets where we can make many thing from this like new bottles, t-shirts, plastic bags, pen-pencils or boxes etc.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response attempts to cover the whole recycling process, but the information is presented as a dense, rambling description rather than a well-organised summary of main features. The account follows the nine steps sequentially, yet some stages are presented in a confusing, mechanical manner, such as 'all the bottles make joined together and compressing into blocks'. There is a lack of clear overview, which is a key requirement for Academic Task 1. Key features such as the cyclical nature of the process are missed, and the writing tends to recount every minor detail rather than selecting and reporting the most significant aspects. To move to a higher band, the writer must include a clear overview statement summarizing the main stages of the process and avoid mechanical listing of every single step.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response shows some basic organisation by attempting to divide the process into paragraphs, although the paragraphing is awkward, splitting a continuous continuous process arbitrarily. The use of cohesive devices is mechanical and inappropriate; the phrases 'In the one hand' and 'In the other hand' are misused here, as they are normally reserved for discussing contrasting arguments in an essay rather than stages in a diagram. Furthermore, referencing and pronoun use are weak, leading to extremely long, run-on sentences that make it difficult for the reader to follow the logical progression. To improve, the writer should use appropriate sequential linkers such as 'subsequently' or 'following this' and ensure clear paragraph divisions that reflect the natural stages of the diagram.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for the task. The student attempts some less common technical vocabulary related to the diagram, such as 'recycling centre', 'plastic pellets', and 'raw material', but these are often accompanied by awkward word choices and word formation errors, such as 'compressing into blocks' combined poorly with other verbs, and 'pen-pencils'. There are also minor lexical slips throughout the text. To achieve a higher band, the writer needs to demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary with greater precision, using correct word forms and natural collocations to describe industrial processes without relying on repetitive or inaccurate phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on overlong, error-prone sentences joined together by excessive conjunctions. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with passive and active voice confusion ('plastic bottles thrown by a consumers', 'where sorting is held of bottle which unsuitable wastage is removed'), missing articles, and faulty verb forms ('been crush into crusher'). These frequent errors frequently cause difficulty for the reader and obscure the precise mechanics of the process. To improve, the writer must focus on basic sentence boundaries, correct subject-verb agreement, and accurate use of passive voice constructions which are essential for describing manufacturing and recycling processes.

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

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