Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The process diagram illustrates the transformation of garbage and trash to finished good products. The process includes the whole journey of trash from picking, sorting, compressing, crushing, washing, and then finally producing raw materials leading to produce finished goods.

Initially, the trash will be dumped by indivduals in specified trash bins and subsequently, the trash will be picked up by trash picking vehicles and will be delivered to the recycling factory where the whole process of recycling begins.

Firstly, the trash will be sorted to identify if the product is recyclable or not. Moving onto the next phase, the sorted items will be compressed into a block and will be passed on for crushing. The compressed block will go through the mechanical elements which will crush the block into small pieces and directly undergo the washing phase where the pieces will be thrown into water.

The washed elements will go through the machinery and will be transformed into plastic pellets. The Pallets will be heated in order to form raw materials. Finally,the raw material will be used my manufacturing companies to manufacture various finished recycled products.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the main parts of the task by outlining the stages of recycling plastic bottles from initial collection to finished products. However, the coverage remains somewhat uneven and mechanical. While the writer manages to sequence the steps, some parts of the description are overly generalized or lack full development, treating the process as a basic linear description rather than capturing the cyclical nature implied by the diagram. For instance, the final sentence mentions that raw materials will be used by manufacturing companies, but the link back to the initial consumer phase is not fully articulated in terms of the complete loop. To reach a higher band, the response would need a more comprehensive and cohesive overview that highlights all key features and relationships within the visual data clearly without relying on repetitive narration.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The text displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt to group the process into logical paragraphs, moving from introduction to collection, sorting, and final production. Paragraphing is utilized to separate different phases of the diagram. However, the cohesion feels somewhat mechanical at times, relying on predictable transitional phrases such as "Initially," "Firstly," "Moving onto the next phase," and "Finally." While referencing is generally understandable, the flow between certain sentences can feel abrupt, and the progression could be smoother. To improve, the writer should use a wider variety of cohesive devices more flexibly, ensuring that the transitions between steps in the diagram connect more naturally rather than reading like a rigid checklist.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully incorporating process-specific terms such as "recycling factory," "sorted," "compressed," "crushing," and "plastic pellets." However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices throughout the text. For example, the phrase "finished good products" is redundant, "indivduals" contains a spelling error, and "used my manufacturing companies" features a preposition error. Attempts to use less common vocabulary are sometimes hindered by these slips and minor spelling issues. To achieve a higher level, the student needs to broaden their lexical range, demonstrate more precise word choices and collocations related to industrial processes, and eliminate spelling and word-form errors that detract from the precision of the report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an attempt to explain the multi-step process using subordinate clauses and passive voice constructions, such as "the trash will be dumped by individuals" and "the sorted items will be compressed." However, there are frequent errors in tense consistency, particularly the overuse of future forms like "will be" to describe a static process diagram where present simple is standard. Additionally, there are minor punctuation issues and awkward grammatical patterns. To move to a higher band, the student should ensure greater accuracy across a wider range of structures, maintain appropriate tense consistency for describing static diagrams, and reduce the frequency of grammatical slips.

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