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 process shows the process of recycling plastic bottles. It consists of nine different steps. At the initial stage, people put their waste materials in the dustbin. Secondly, the garbage trucks come there and collect all the waste materials. After that, it goes to the recycling center where the garbage is sorted. Then it passes through the compression process, where the material is compressed into blocks.

Then it further goes to the crushing and washing process. Then they produce the plastic pellets. In the seventh stage, the heated pellets are converted into raw materials. A large amount of raw material is produced there. In the final stage, the raw materials are used for making different products like shirts, pencils, and bags

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the process as recycling plastic bottles and report several stages in the correct order, including collection, sorting, compression, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating. However, the account is incomplete: it does not explain that unsuitable bottles are rejected during sorting, and it stops after listing some end products without describing the arrows that return the process to the start. The overview is also limited, and “A large amount of raw material is produced there” adds a quantity claim not shown in the diagram. The response is 121 words, below the required 150, so there is not enough detail to cover the main features fully. Add a clear overview of the closed loop and describe its final stages more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The stages are generally presented in a sensible sequence, and time markers such as “At the initial stage,” “Secondly,” and “After that” help the reader follow the process. The repeated use of “Then,” however, makes the links mechanical, and the response is presented as one paragraph rather than being organised into an introduction, overview and process details. Some references are also unclear: “it goes to the recycling center” and “Then they produce the plastic pellets” do not clearly identify the material or the agent. Group the stages into paragraphs and vary the linking language, while using precise references such as “the bottles” or “the plastic” to make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “compressed into blocks,” “crushing,” “washing,” “plastic pellets” and “raw materials,” so the main stages are usually understandable. However, some choices are imprecise or repetitive. “Waste materials” and “garbage” are used for plastic bottles, although the diagram concerns bottles specifically; “dustbin” is less suitable than a recycling bin in this context. The opening also repeats “process,” and “they produce” is vague because no people are shown producing the pellets. Use more exact terms for the material and machinery, and choose verbs that describe each stage directly. This would make the account more precise without requiring unnecessarily complex vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

Most sentences communicate a basic sequence clearly, and you attempt some variation through clauses such as “where the material is compressed into blocks.” However, the response relies mainly on short, simple sentences beginning with “Then,” which limits grammatical range. There are also awkward or unclear constructions: “Then they produce the plastic pellets” leaves the subject uncertain, while “In the seventh stage, the heated pellets are converted” does not clearly show that heating is the action that converts them. The opening contains an unnecessary repeated phrase, “The process shows the process.” Use a wider mix of accurate passive constructions and linking clauses, for example, “After being washed, the plastic is made into pellets,” and proofread for repetition and clear subjects.

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

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