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)

Recycling is a very essential part to make our environment sustainabe. Its a process where things like plastic bottles and shopping bags are processed in a way to make new useful items. Recycling of plastic bottles involve several steps. In initial step, the people throw their trash in dustbins, mostly placed outside their houses. Secondly, trash collecting trucks collect these trash from dustbins. After that, trash is subjected to sorting process which is mostly done by hand. This step is one of the crucial step as it involve separation of plastic bottles from other waste materials. Step fourth and fifth involve compressing and crushing of plastic bottles, respectively. The crushing is done via a special machine designed to perform this task. In the same step, the crushed pieces are washed and subjected to next machine responsible for production of plastic pellets. Seventh and eighth step involve pellets heating and raw material production, respectively. Lastly, the raw material is used to make new items i.e. shopping bags, plastic bottles , shirts and plastic boxes. The whole cycle can run in a loop resulting making it promising waste managment strategy.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You cover the main sequence from disposal and collection through sorting, processing, and making new products, and you correctly identify that the process is cyclical. However, some details are inaccurate or too general: the diagram shows plastic bottles placed in a recycling bin, not general trash in dustbins outside houses, and the sorting stage separates accepted bottles from rejected items rather than simply separating bottles from other waste. The overview is also implicit rather than clearly stated at the beginning. You mention examples of end products, but “shopping bags” and “plastic boxes” are less precise than the diagram’s carrier bag and food containers. A clearer overview and closer reporting of the diagram’s specific stages would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The stages are presented in a mostly logical order, and sequencing phrases such as “Secondly,” “After that,” and “Lastly” help the reader follow the process. The response also groups related actions, for example compressing and crushing, followed by washing and pellet production. However, it is written as one continuous paragraph, so the overview and the detailed sequence are not clearly distinguished. Some links are mechanical, and references such as “In the same step” are unclear because washing follows crushing as a separate stage. The numbered transitions “Step fourth and fifth” and “Seventh and eighth step” also interrupt the flow. Use a brief overview paragraph followed by a process paragraph, and connect stages with more precise references.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “sorting,” “compressing,” “crushing,” “plastic pellets,” and “raw material,” which allows you to describe the main stages. There is some variety in how you refer to the process and its outputs. However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural, such as “trash collecting trucks,” “subjected to sorting process,” and “the whole cycle can run in a loop resulting making it promising waste managment strategy.” Spelling errors in “sustainabe” and “managment,” along with the repeated use of “trash” and “step,” reduce accuracy and range. Aim for concise, diagram-specific terms such as “collection truck,” “recycling centre,” and “end products,” and check spelling and collocations carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes both simple statements and some longer sentences, such as the explanation of sorting and the sentence describing crushing, washing, and pellet production. Most of the process remains understandable, but errors in agreement, articles, and sentence construction are noticeable. For example, “Recycling of plastic bottles involve” should use a singular verb, while “one of the crucial step” needs a plural noun. “In initial step” is missing an article, and “resulting making it” is not a well-formed construction. The sentence beginning “In the same step” also makes the relationship between crushing and washing unclear. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement and article use, and build longer sentences around clear, correctly linked clauses.

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