Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-04
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 provided diagram illustrates the recyling process of water bottles.
Overall, the linear process consist of nine main stages, starting with the collection of empty bottles and ending with products made from recyling plastic. The feature is that some work was done by machine and other are by human.
Initially, the guy thow the empty bottle into dustbin and garbage collection truck collect the bottle.Then it was reached at the recyling centre, where the lady sorting the right bottles and valid bottles compressed and formed shaped like blocks. Subsequently it was transferd to crushing machine the small particle of bottles was thrown into water tank for washing.
Following this, it was moved to more advanced machine for producing plastic pellets and ant size like small pellets was formed into raw material with set temperature. Afterwards, six raw material is made and can be seen in wood shelf. At the final stage the products is visibe water bottles, pensils, shirts.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the task by outlining the main features of the plastic bottle recycling process. It provides an overview stating that there are nine stages, beginning with collection and ending with recycled products. However, some stages are described rather simplistically or under-developed, such as mentioning that 'some work was done by machine and other are by human' in the overview without fully integrating this distinction into the body. While the progression of the cycle is captured, the detail in certain intermediate steps lacks precision, preventing a higher evaluation.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear division into paragraphs, including an introduction with an overview and body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Initially', 'Subsequently', and 'At the final stage' are used to sequence the stages of the diagram. The progression of ideas is generally logical, reflecting the circular nature of the process. To reach the next level, referencing and transitions between sentences could be smoother, as some connections feel a bit mechanical or abrupt.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task, with attempts at process-related terminology such as 'recycling centre', 'compressing into blocks', 'crushing machine', and 'plastic pellets'. However, there are noticeable spelling errors ('recyling', 'transferd', 'visibe', 'pensils') and awkward word choices ('the guy thow', 'the lady sorting', 'wood shelf'). These lexical slips and limited variety reflect a basic resource that occasionally impedes smooth communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control is inconsistent. There are frequent errors in verb tense consistency ('consist', 'thow', 'collect', 'was reached', 'sorting', 'compressed', 'is made'), subject-verb agreement, and article usage. For instance, 'the guy thow the empty bottle into dustbin' contains multiple grammatical inaccuracies. While the meaning can generally be understood, the frequency of errors places this response firmly at the lower intermediate level.
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