Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-02

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 process diagram demonstrates the procedure for recycling  plastic bottles.

Overall, the process starts with throwing the unuseable plastic bottles and ends with producing end products. However, this covers 9 steps in general.

Initially, the plastic bottles were thrown in the dustbin after their use. First, the dustbin holding the plastic bottles are added in a garbage truck. After this, the bottles go to the recycling center where sorting is done. Subsequently, these bottles are compressed into blocks so that they are easily crushed.

Next, the bottles which are in a block shape are crushed and when they are crushed they go to washing in a tank. After that, they are poured in a special machine for producing plastic pellets. Following this, these pellets are heated to  form raw material. After heating, the raw material is made by heating the pellets. Last, these plastic bottles are produced end products for the market.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task partially, outlining the main stages of the plastic bottle recycling process from beginning to end. However, the development of ideas is limited, and some descriptions lack precision or omit key details shown in the diagram. For instance, the overview merely states that it 'covers 9 steps in general' rather than summarising the overarching stages or key transitions, such as the cyclical nature of the process. Furthermore, the description of certain steps is repetitive or imprecise, such as stating that 'the raw material is made by heating the pellets' immediately after mentioning heating the pellets to form raw material. To reach a higher level, the response should provide a more fully developed and well-rounded summary of the key features and cyclical flow without redundant phrasing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates some organisation with a logical overall sequence that follows the steps of the diagram, moving from the initial throwing of bottles to the final production of goods. Paragraphing is attempted, with an introduction and overall statement followed by body paragraphs detailing the stages. However, progression is sometimes hindered by mechanical or repetitive use of cohesive devices, such as 'After this,' 'After that,' and 'Following this,' which creates a somewhat formulaic structure. Additionally, referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in the sentence 'the bottles which are in a block shape are crushed and when they are crushed they go to washing.' Improving the variety and precision of transitional markers, as well as ensuring smoother transitions between ideas, would enhance the overall coherence of the text.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to describe basic physical actions like 'thrown,' 'sorted,' 'compressed,' 'crushed,' and 'washed.' There are attempts to use less common vocabulary items relevant to the process, such as 'raw material,' 'plastic pellets,' and 'end products.' However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as 'unuseable plastic bottles' instead of used bottles, and redundant phrasing like 'producing end products for the market.' Spelling is generally correct, but word choice errors and a limited lexical range occasionally cause slight difficulty or repetition for the reader. Incorporating a wider and more precise range of vocabulary related to industrial processes would strengthen this area.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writing relies on a limited range of sentence structures, primarily simple sentences and basic complex forms. There are frequent errors in verb forms, tense consistency, and passive voice construction, which is crucial for describing a process. For example, the text shifts awkwardly between past and present tenses ('the plastic bottles were thrown' contrasted with 'the dustbin holding the plastic bottles are added'). Other errors include article omissions and awkward prepositions, such as 'poured in a special machine' instead of poured into. While these errors do not completely obscure the overall meaning, they occur frequently enough to cause some difficulty for the reader and reflect a restricted control over grammatical structures.

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