Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-08

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 given photo describe the recycling process in nine steps .First of allwhen we ut the wastes in baskit it is a really good process after utting the garbages in baskitball after this a van that can specially work in this department after the second process in recycling process it devided into parts and pack every thing in every box after the thirld process plastic bottles can block into blocks in this process the seprated bottles ccan pack in the cage and compressed after fourth process when bottles can reached in the factory that can divided into thae small pices after the fifth process when bottles are divided after this the small piceses of bottalsare washed and prodduce plastic pellets after producing plasstic pettels heating the plastic pettels and form a raw material after this raw material are packed raw material is a second last proces at last in last process different products can formed

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response identifies the general subject and follows several stages, including collection, sorting, crushing, washing, pellet production, heating, and making products. However, the account is difficult to match to the diagram in places: the opening description of putting waste in a “baskit” is unclear, and the sorting stage is confused with packing items into boxes. The overview is also missing: it should state that this is a closed cycle, with end products returning to the recycling bin. Some details are inaccurate or vague, such as saying bottles are “pack[ed] in the cage” and not identifying examples of the end products. A clearer, more accurate summary of the main stages and the loop would strengthen task coverage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic attempt to present the stages in sequence, using markers such as “First of all,” “after this,” and “at last.” This gives the reader some sense of progression through the process. However, the response is written as one long, crowded sequence, with little punctuation or paragraphing to separate stages. Several transitions are repetitive, and phrases such as “after the second process in recycling process” make the progression harder to follow. The account also jumps between stages without clearly signalling where one ends and the next begins. Organise the description into a brief overview and a logically ordered body, and use a small range of accurate linking phrases rather than repeating “after this.”

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses some task-related vocabulary, including “recycling process,” “compressed,” “plastic pellets,” and “raw material,” so the basic topic is recognisable. However, the range is limited and several words are repeated, especially “process,” “bottles,” and “after.” Frequent spelling errors and imprecise choices—such as “baskit,” “piceses,” “pettels,” and “cage”—make parts of the description difficult to understand. Some phrases are also unnatural, for example “a van that can specially work in this department” and “different products can formed.” Build a more accurate process vocabulary and use precise verbs such as “collect,” “sort,” “crush,” “wash,” and “manufacture.” Check spelling carefully, particularly for key stage names.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to connect stages in longer sentences, but sentence structures are very limited and frequently inaccurate, which sometimes obscures the sequence. For example, “The given photo describe” has subject–verb disagreement, while “different products can formed” is missing the required verb form. Tense and agreement are inconsistent in phrases such as “raw material are packed,” and several clauses run together without clear sentence boundaries. Articles and plurals are also not controlled consistently. Use simple present passive forms for the process, such as “The bottles are collected” and “They are then crushed,” and separate each stage with full stops. Practising a few accurate sentence patterns would make the description much clearer.

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

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