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 diagram illustrates the process for recycling plastic bottles in the nine different steps. How bottles are recycled and converted from raw materials to useful products.

In the first step, people throw their plastic into trash bins. After that, plastic is collected from bins using trucks , then it is transported to recycling centers. In recycling centers, sorting is performed, plastic gets seprated from rest of the garbage.

In the forth step, plastic is compressed into plastic blocks via machine. Machine applies the heavy weight which compressed it into blocks. After that, these blocks are passed through crush machine, it shred them into small pieces.After the washing process, plastic pallets are made using an other machine.

At the seventh step, plastic pallers are heated to form raw material. As the raw material is made then it is delivered to factories, From this raw material different products of plactic are made including shirts, pencils, bottels, bags and such other.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the main stages of the recycling process, but the coverage is somewhat uneven. While several steps from collection to final product creation are mentioned, some parts are only partially developed. For instance, the introduction contains a fragmented clause ("How bottles are recycled and converted from raw materials to useful products.") rather than a complete overview of the overall process. Furthermore, certain stages like sorting and washing lack clear development or description, resulting in a response that feels underdeveloped in places. To reach a higher level, the writer should ensure all key features of the diagram are fully reported with a clear, cohesive introduction and a well-developed summary of every major stage in the loop.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The text demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a logical sequence following the stages of the diagram. The writer uses basic transition markers such as "In the first step," "After that," and "At the seventh step" to guide the reader through the process. However, cohesion can feel a bit mechanical and repetitive, and paragraphing is underdeveloped, with almost the entire body grouped into a single block of text. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, such as when pronouns or transitional phrases link sentences loosely. To improve Coherence and Cohesion, the writer needs to employ a wider variety of cohesive devices more flexibly and organise the response into clear, distinct paragraphs that separate introduction, body stages, and final outcomes.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to describe basic physical actions such as "collected," "compressed," "shred," and "heated." However, there are noticeable lexical errors, awkward word choices, and spelling mistakes that impact precision. Examples include "seprated" for separated, "forth" for fourth, "crush machine" instead of crushing machine, "plastic pallets" and "pallers" instead of pellets, and "bottels" for bottles. While the meaning remains mostly clear despite these slips, the range is limited and repetition of terms like "plastic" occurs frequently. To achieve a higher band, the writer should use a wider and more precise range of vocabulary, ensure correct word forms and collocations, and eliminate spelling errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response relies on a limited range of sentence structures, mostly consisting of simple sentences and basic complex forms, with frequent grammatical errors. There are issues with article usage, such as missing articles ("from bins," "to recycling centers"), preposition errors ("passed through crush machine"), and awkward phrasing ("Machine applies the heavy weight which compressed it into blocks"). Additionally, fragments and run-on structures occur, such as "After that, these blocks are passed through crush machine, it shred them into small pieces." Frequent errors in verb tenses, voice, and agreement cause some difficulty for the reader. To improve, the writer should work on producing more error-free complex structures and improving control over articles, prepositions, and punctuation.

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