Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)
The main idea of Plastic bottles are recycled in every steps and can guide in steps by step and make the comparision where relevant .
First of all , The Human being can collect the bottles and put into the street basket and next step is garbage truck can pull into the inside and go to the recycling plastic bottle factory and recycling centre can select the correct bottles and go to the push machine . The push machine can push the bottles and make the block and next step the block can crush into the crushing machine and crush can wash the plastic and go to hte producing plastic pellets and next step heating pellets to form raw material and the raw material can pack and make th shirts,bags,pencils,bottels and other material . The Further information is process of recycling plastic bottles is amazing and the trick can no waste the money . the raw material can make the new material .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5
You identify the general subject and describe several stages in the correct order, including collection, sorting, compressing, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating. You also mention examples of end products. However, the response gives no clear overview of the complete cycle, such as the fact that the process returns to bottle use, and some details are inaccurate or unclear: bottles are put in a recycling bin, not a “street basket,” and the diagram shows a collection truck rather than a “garbage truck.” The final comments about the process being “amazing” and saving money are not supported by the diagram. To make the report more complete and focused, summarise the cycle’s start and end, and report only features shown.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5
There is a basic sequence to the description: you move from disposal and collection through processing to the products made from the raw material. This helps the reader follow the broad process. However, the response is presented as two paragraphs with most stages crowded into one long sentence, and links such as “next step” are repeated rather than varied. The final sentences about the process being amazing and saving money interrupt the sequence instead of concluding it clearly. Use separate paragraphs for an overview and the main stages, then connect each stage with precise transitions such as “after sorting” and “once the pellets have been heated.” Clearer sentence boundaries would also improve progression.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “recycling centre,” “compressing,” “crushing,” “plastic pellets” and “raw material,” so the reader can recognise the main stages. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “street basket,” “garbage truck,” “push machine” and “the trick can no waste the money.” Spelling and word-form problems, including “bottels” and “th shirts,” also reduce clarity. Aim for precise terms from the diagram and natural collocations: for example, say that bottles are placed in a recycling bin and collected by a recycling truck, then compressed into blocks. Avoid adding evaluative phrases that do not describe the process.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5
The response attempts to connect stages using longer sentences, but these are often difficult to control. For example, “The push machine can push the bottles and make the block and next step the block can crush” contains unclear clause links and an incorrect passive construction. There are also recurring problems with articles, plurals and agreement, as in “in every steps,” “make the block,” and “the raw material can make the new material.” Capitalisation and spacing around punctuation are inconsistent. These errors sometimes make the relationships between stages hard to understand. Build the description with shorter, complete sentences and practise passive forms suited to a process, such as “The bottles are sorted” and “The plastic is washed.”
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