Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-03
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)
The given diagram is elucidate information about the process for recycling plastic bottles. summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features , and make comparisons where relevant. No.1 A garbage man collect a plastic garbage to all over city and No. 2 collected garbage put into the garbage truck and collect in recycling center. No.3 Recycling center sorting all the plastic bottles. No.4 Recycling centers compressed all bottles in the form of blocks. Collect all blocks and shift for crushing machine. No.5 Machine crash all the plastic blocks. Wash all the plastic and shift to the producing plastic plant. No.6 plant plant producing plastic plants. No.7 Heating plastic to form raw meterial. No.8 collect all raw metreial and No.9 manufacture products like cloths, pens, plastic bags, lunch box and bottles.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.0 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word length requirement, falling significantly short of the 150-word minimum, with 21 words copied directly from the prompt. While the student attempts to describe the stages of the plastic bottle recycling process, the task is addressed only minimally. The information is presented as a fragmented list of points rather than a cohesive report, and key stages of the process are either oversimplified or confused. There is no clear overview of the process as a whole, reflecting a minimal response to the visual data provided.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
Information and ideas are not arranged coherently into proper paragraphs. Instead, the response is structured as a series of disjointed, numbered sentences resembling a rough note-taking outline rather than a standard academic report. There is a lack of logical progression between sentences, and cohesive devices are virtually absent, making it difficult to follow the flow of the recycling stages. Paragraphing is entirely missing, which further hinders the readability and overall structural organization of the text.
Lexical Resource: Band 4.5
The vocabulary used is basic, repetitive, and heavily reliant on direct lifting or awkward paraphrasing of the prompt and diagram labels, such as 'garbage', 'plastic bottles', and 'recycling center'. There are noticeable lexical errors and inappropriate word choices, such as 'garbage man collect a plastic garbage' and 'machine crash all the plastic blocks' (using 'crash' instead of 'crush'). These limitations and errors strain the reader's understanding and demonstrate a restricted vocabulary range suitable for this level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0
The grammatical range is very limited, consisting primarily of simple, fragmented sentences with frequent structural errors. There are persistent issues with subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, and missing articles, as seen in 'A garbage man collect' and 'collected garbage put into the garbage truck'. Punctuation is also poorly handled, with irregular numbering replacing standard sentence boundaries. These frequent errors distort meaning in places and demonstrate poor control over basic grammatical structures.
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.