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 digram demonstrate the stages involved recycled process of plastic bottles.

Overall,it's is cyclical process which contains nine steps.The first one is plastic bottles throw into dustbins and end with production of raw material.

At the first stage the people throws the plastic bottles into the dustbins.Then they are collected by the reclyed trucks and sent to recycling centre in which sorting and they are divided into 2 boxes first is correct and another is incorrect.Afterthat the suitable plastic bottles go to compression into blocks.Subsequently ,it's is crushing method and washing .

Next ,once this is complete plastic cans are going to producing plastic pellets through the machine.The Machine release healing pellets to form raw material.Following this the raw material converted into products such as clothes,pencils ,pans , plastic bottles, tiffin boxes and polythene.And after utilizes the goods remain throw into dustbins.And the cycle the begins again.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the task partially, as it attempts to describe the main features of the plastic bottle recycling process, but falls slightly short of the 150-word minimum requirement at 147 words. While the overview correctly identifies that the diagram represents a nine-step cyclical process starting with disposal and ending with raw materials, the development of individual stages remains limited and under-developed. Some steps are described with over-simplified or inaccurate details, such as mentioning that 'plastic cans are going to producing plastic pellets', which lacks precision and misses key intermediate transformations shown in the visual data. To reach a higher band, the writer must ensure the word count requirement is met and provide a more fully developed, accurate account of all major stages in the process without omitting or distorting key steps.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some organisation evident in the response, beginning with an introduction and attempting to follow the sequential flow of the diagram. However, there is no clear overall progression due to poor paragraphing and a lack of proper structuring. Cohesive devices are frequently inadequate, inaccurate, or over-used, relying on repetitive and mechanical transitions such as 'At the first stage', 'Then', 'Afterthat', and 'Next'. Furthermore, referencing is not always clear, which disrupts the logical flow between sentences and makes the sequence harder to follow. To improve Coherence and Cohesion, the writer needs to group related stages into well-defined paragraphs, use a wider variety of accurate cohesive links, and ensure a smoother, more natural progression of ideas from the start of the cycle to the end.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to convey the basic topic of recycling. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'cyclical process', 'compression into blocks', and 'plastic pellets', but these are accompanied by noticeable errors in word choice, word form, and spelling, such as 'digram' for diagram, 'recycled process' for recycling process, 'reclyed' for recycling, and 'healing' instead of heating. These lexical errors and awkward collocations cause some difficulty for the reader and impede smooth communication. To achieve a higher band, the writer must expand their vocabulary range, improve word formation, and ensure accurate spelling and collocation when describing industrial and mechanical processes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on basic, straightforward clauses. When the writer attempts more complex sentence forms or passive constructions, they are frequently faulty, leading to awkward phrasing like 'plastic bottles throw into dustbins' and 'the people throws the plastic bottles'. There are frequent errors in verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, and articles throughout the text, including 'it's is cyclical process', 'the raw material converted', and 'the cycle the begins again'. These frequent errors require the reader to decode the meaning and can cause difficulty. To progress, the writer needs to demonstrate a greater variety of grammatical structures, particularly passive voice forms which are essential for describing processes, while tightening control over basic agreement and tense consistency.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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