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 illustrates the nine-stage process for recover plastic bottles.

Overall, it is a cycle process which begins with throwing plastic bottles in the rubbish bin and ends with producing new products like clothes and bottles.

In the first stage, people throw used plastic bottle into a recycle bin. Secondlt, a garbage truck collect these bottle and transfer to recovering center. Then repurpose center, workers sort the bottles manually separating usable bottle from unusable ones. After that, the bottles are compressing into the blocks, then start crushing step into the machine and crush into small pieces then start washing process.

In addition, after washing process, bottles manufactured go through pellets process. As a result, heating pellets convert to in the form of raw material then raw material process convert to made clothes and diffrent items such as usable bages and ends with producing new products like clothes, pencils and bottles.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the diagram as a recycling cycle and cover most of its main stages, from disposal and collection through sorting, compression, crushing, washing, pellet production and the creation of new products. The overview also recognises that the process returns to its beginning. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the bottles go into a recycling bin, not a rubbish bin, and the diagram shows sorting into accepted and rejected items rather than simply usable and unusable bottles. The final products include containers, a T-shirt, pencils and a carrier bag, not only clothes and bottles. The account of how pellets become raw material is also difficult to follow. More precise reporting of these features would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response follows the process in a generally logical order, and paragraphing separates the overview from the stage-by-stage account. Sequencing expressions such as “In the first stage,” “Secondlt,” “Then” and “After that” help the reader follow the cycle. However, the progression becomes less clear in the final paragraph, where “bottles manufactured go through pellets process” and “raw material process convert to made clothes” obscure the relationships between stages. Some linking is also mechanical, with repeated “then” and “process.” Use clearer stage-to-stage connections and refer back to materials consistently—for example, explain that washed plastic is made into pellets, which are heated to form raw material.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “compressing,” “crushing,” “washing,” “pellets” and “raw material,” which allows the reader to recognise the main stages. There is also some attempt to vary wording with “recovering center” and “repurpose center.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “rubbish bin” for the recycling bin, “bottles manufactured” and “usable bages.” Spelling errors including “Secondlt” and “diffrent” also reduce precision. Some phrases repeat “process” or “products” without adding detail. Aim for accurate collocations and consistent terms for the bottles and materials; this will make the description clearer and more natural while retaining the useful technical vocabulary you already use.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, and the overall sequence can usually be understood. However, errors in verb forms, agreement, articles and sentence construction are noticeable. For example, “a garbage truck collect these bottle” needs a plural verb and noun, while “the bottles are compressing into the blocks” uses an unsuitable verb form. The sentence beginning “As a result, heating pellets convert to in the form of raw material” is structurally unclear, and “raw material process convert to made clothes” does not form a grammatical clause. These problems sometimes make the relationships between stages difficult to understand. Practise building accurate sentences with a clear subject and verb, such as “The pellets are heated to produce raw material,” before adding longer clauses.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.