Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-09

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 5.0)

The given process chart illusttrates the recycling process of plastic bottles.

Overall, this process involve 9 steps in total, all steps are essential, if one of step is eliminated the whole process will be excluded.

First of all, garabbage is thrown into the bin, then, the waste is sent to the recycling centre for the process of sorting after that, waste is compressed into blocks subsequently, crushed in order to be washed after that, plastic pellets are produced afterwards pellets are heated in order to form raw material last but not the least end products for intance, T- shirts, polybags etc are produced

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the topic and give a basic overview by noting that the process has nine steps, and you report several central stages, including sorting, compressing, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating. However, the account is incomplete: it omits the collection truck, the sorting of suitable from unsuitable bottles, and the final return loop from end products to the recycling bin. The claim that every step is essential and that removing one would stop the whole process is not shown by the diagram. The response also contains only 103 words, below the required 150, so important details and explanations are missing. To improve, describe the full cycle accurately and include a clearer overview of how bottles become new products and re-enter the process.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The stages are presented in roughly the correct order, and sequencing expressions such as “First of all,” “then,” and “after that” help the reader follow the basic process. However, nearly all the information is compressed into one long paragraph and one extended sentence, so the progression is difficult to track. Several linking phrases are repeated or awkwardly joined, particularly in the sequence from compression through pellet production. The overview is separated, but the main process would be clearer in a distinct, organised paragraph. Use a paragraph for the overview and another for the stages, and divide the sequence into complete sentences with precise links such as “Next,” “Following this,” and “Finally.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “sorting,” “compressed,” “crushed,” “plastic pellets,” and “raw material,” which helps communicate the main stages. There is also an attempt to use alternatives such as “waste” and “end products.” However, the range is limited and some choices are inaccurate or imprecise: “garabbage” does not describe the plastic bottles, and “polybag” is not the clearest term for the carrier bag shown. Spelling errors such as “illusttrates,” “intance,” and “garabbage” are noticeable. Build a more precise set of process terms and check spelling; for example, refer to “discarded plastic bottles,” “a recycling collection truck,” and “finished products.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both an overview sentence and a longer sequence sentence, and the reader can generally understand the intended order. However, the range of sentence structures is limited, and the extended sentence is not controlled: stages are joined without clear sentence boundaries or consistent punctuation. There are also recurring errors in verb forms and agreement, as in “this process involve 9 steps,” and in the conditional statement “if one of step is eliminated.” The phrase “after that” is repeatedly inserted without punctuation, making relationships between clauses unclear. Use shorter, complete sentences and check subject–verb agreement, articles and plural forms—for example, “the process involves nine steps” and “if one step is removed.”

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