Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-07

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 displays how plastic bottles are recycled/.

Overall, it can be seen that the process consists of nine major steps. Starting from the collection of used bottle to processing in factory and production of products for daily use.

Initially, used bottle are collected through dustbin and garbage yard with the help of heavy truck. The plastic bottles are taken to the recycling centre where worker filters the plastics. After that the plastics are compressed to form blocks. The blocks are taking to the crushing machinewere heavy rollers crush it and send it to washing chamber where plastic are washed.

The washed pastic pieces goes through heating machines which makes plastic pellets and form raw material. After that process, a raw materials are stored and sold to others for plastic bag and bottles company. The recycled plastic are used to make products like tiffenbox, plastic bags,and bottles which is used by people in daily life. By contrast, after using

product the process starts again to recyle used plastic.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main stages and give a clear overview that the process has nine steps, from collecting bottles to making everyday products and restarting the cycle. The sequence from sorting through compression, crushing and washing is mostly represented accurately. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: the diagram shows bottles placed in a recycling bin and collected by a truck, not collection from a “garbage yard”; and it shows pellets being produced before they are heated to form raw material, whereas your account reverses these stages. You also say the raw material is “stored and sold,” which is not shown. The range of end products could be reported more precisely. Clarifying these points and describing the pellet-to-raw-material stages accurately would make the account more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows the process in a broadly logical order and uses paragraphs to separate the overview from the detailed account. Sequencing expressions such as “Initially,” “After that,” and “After using” help the reader follow the cycle. However, progression becomes less clear where the stages are misordered: “heating machines” are described before the production of pellets, and the link between raw material and end products is compressed. Some connections are also awkward or mechanical, particularly “By contrast,” which does not express a contrast in this context. The overview is a sentence fragment rather than a complete statement, and the final line breaks across “after using / product.” Use clearer paragraphing and more precise links such as “Next” and “Finally,” while ensuring each stage connects explicitly to the next.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “recycling centre,” “compressed,” “crushing machine,” “washing chamber,” and “raw material,” so the topic is generally clear. There is also some useful variation in describing the stages. However, several word choices and collocations are imprecise, such as “filters the plastics” for sorting, “heavy rollers” for the crushing mechanism, and “stored and sold to others” for a step not shown. Spelling errors—including “pastic,” “recyle,” and “tiffenbox”—and inconsistent forms such as “bottle” and “plastics” reduce accuracy. Aim for precise labels from the diagram and check spelling; for example, use “sorts the bottles,” “plastic pellets,” and “food containers.” This would make the vocabulary more controlled and natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, and the sequence is usually understandable. However, errors in agreement, articles, verb forms, and sentence construction are noticeable. Examples include “used bottle are collected,” “The washed pastic pieces goes,” and “a raw materials are stored”; these need consistent singular or plural forms and appropriate articles. “The blocks are taking to the crushing machine” also uses an incorrect verb form, while “Starting from the collection …” is a fragment rather than a complete sentence. Some sentences run together, as in “machinewere heavy rollers,” and punctuation around clauses is inconsistent. Practise building accurate sentences around each stage, checking subject–verb agreement and tense, and separating complete ideas with full stops. Greater control of these patterns would improve clarity.

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