Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-05

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 given diagram illustrates the process by which plastic bottles are recycled.

Overall, what stands out from the diagram is that the process consists in 9 stages. Another notable point is that the process starts with, residents put their waste materials in the bin and end with producing useful accessories such as clothes, pen, pencils and so on.

To begin with, the recycling process begins with collecting rubbish by tracks. After this stage, these disposal are sorted by staffs and then compressed into blocks. Following that, the rubbish are crushed by heavy metals and then washed by clean water.

In the six stage, the plastic pellets are produced and heated them. In the next stage, the raw materials are made by the heated pellets. And finally, different essential things are produced by those plastics disposal. It is a artificial process conducted by humans and different machines. And then, the process repeated itself.

AI examiner evaluation

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, covering the stages from discarding waste to producing end products. An overview is successfully provided, noting the total number of stages and the general progression from rubbish disposal to the creation of useful accessories. However, some parts of the process are under-developed or lack precise detail, such as the intermediate stages involving crushing, washing, and pellet production, which are described rather briefly. While the selection of features is mostly relevant, the lack of full expansion across every mechanical step prevents the response from reaching a higher level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The text demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction and a concluding summary of the process loop. Ideas are sequenced in chronological order following the diagram. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical, relying on repetitive transitional phrases such as "To begin with", "After this stage", and "In the next stage". Referencing is also slightly unclear in places, such as when pronouns or transitional links connect the stages loosely. Paragraphing is attempted, but grouping sentences into a more logical multi-paragraph structure would improve the overall progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing a simple industrial process, incorporating words like "illustrates", "residents", "rubbish", and "accessories". There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, but these are accompanied by lexical inaccuracies and word-choice errors, such as referring to collection vehicles as "tracks" instead of trucks, "disposal" instead of waste or disposables, and "staffs" instead of staff. Spelling and word forms are generally manageable and do not seriously impede communication, though terms like "artificial" are slightly awkward in this context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control is inconsistent. There are frequent grammatical errors in verb forms, plurals, and prepositions, such as "the process consists in", "residents put their waste materials in the bin and end with producing", "the rubbish are crushed" (subject-verb agreement), and "by heavy metals" instead of machinery. Articles are also occasionally misused, as seen in "In the six stage" and "the process repeated itself". These errors represent a mix of basic and attempted complex structures where frequent slips persist.

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.