Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-06

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 below illustrates the steps for recycling plastic bottles.

There are total 9 steps to recycle the bottles starts from wasting plastic bottles into dustbin and ends at producing new products.

According to given diagram, the first step is throwing plastic waste into wastage box then the waste in the dustbin is picked up by a wastage truck and then delivered to a recycling centre and there reusable material is separated by hand and then whole plastic items are tightly compressed until this material converted into blocks shape after compressing these blocks are crushed into small pieces by machine these pieces are directly fell into water for washing purpose after cleaning these pieces are passes through the particular machine where pieces are converted into pallets after that these pellets are heated for making raw material then this material are placed with sequence and delivered for manufacturing new products and finally plastic bottles are converted into new plastic items like reusable plastic bags,bottles,pencils and shirts also.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the overall process of recycling plastic bottles, but it does so only partially. While the main stages from disposal to the production of new items are mentioned, the information lacks a clear overview and sufficient detail regarding specific intermediate stages. Furthermore, the description tends to be overly simplistic and repetitive in its reporting of the steps, treating the diagram more as a basic list rather than a well-synthesised summary. To reach a higher level, the writer should provide a distinct introductory overview highlighting key features of the process and ensure all steps are adequately extended and supported with clearer referencing of the visual data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The text demonstrates some basic organisation, opening with an introductory sentence and moving through the sequence of the diagram. However, there is no clear overall progression due to the heavy reliance on run-on sentences connected excessively by conjunctions like 'and then'. Paragraphing is extremely weak, as the entire body of the response is crammed into a single, massive block of text without clear logical divisions between the distinct phases of the recycling loop. To improve in this criterion, the writer needs to break the text down into appropriate paragraphs and utilise a wider, more accurate range of cohesive devices to guide the reader smoothly through the sequential steps.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is rather limited and repetitive, relying heavily on basic terms such as 'plastic bottles', 'waste', 'steps', and 'pieces'. There are noticeable errors in word choice and phrasing, such as 'wasting plastic bottles into dustbin' instead of disposing of them, which occasionally causes some difficulty for the reader. The attempt to use less common vocabulary is minimal, and word formation is sometimes inaccurate (e.g., 'wastage box' instead of recycling bin). To achieve a higher score, the writer must expand their lexical repertoire with precise process-related terminology and demonstrate better control over word forms and collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, consisting almost entirely of simple clauses strung together into long, comma-spliced run-on sentences. There is a complete lack of effective complex sentence forms, and punctuation is largely absent, making the text read as one continuous breath. Frequent errors in grammar are present, including missing articles (e.g., 'according to given diagram'), incorrect prepositions (e.g., 'starts from wasting'), and subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'There are total 9 steps'). These frequent errors can cause difficulty and strain for the reader. To improve, the writer must incorporate a mix of accurate complex sentences and pay closer attention to basic grammatical boundaries and punctuation.

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