Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The process diagram illustrates the recycling procedure of plastic bottles from throwing materials in a large block and finally producing the end products.

Overall, the process is cyclic, involved 9 stages. It usually begins with the throwing of the plastic bottles to any container, and then passed out by many phases, eventually those bottles are recycled, with the formation of various new products.

To begin with, plastic bottles are thrown in any container, then those used bottles are gathered by sweepers. Trucks carried out these waste materials to the recycling centres, where good quality bottles are selected, while others are neglected by experts. After that, those selected bottles are collected and compressed into the blocks, then blocks are crushed through crushing machine.Two rollers grinded that bottles completely and then ingredients entered in a container. Moreover, those tiny particles are washed by the water in the container. Those particles are converted into plastic pellets by a heavy machine and then pellets are released from machine and heated up to form raw materials. Raw materials assembled and arranged in a good manner and finally bottles, plastic pans recycled. In addition to, papers, pencils and fabrics are formed as the end products.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main stages and give a clear overview that the process is cyclical and produces new items. The account accurately includes collection, sorting, compression, crushing, washing, pellet production, heating and the creation of raw material. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: bottles are put in a recycling bin, not “any container”; the diagram shows a collection truck rather than “sweepers”; and the final products include a T-shirt and carrier bag, not “papers” or “fabrics.” The opening phrase “from throwing materials in a large block” also misrepresents the starting point. To strengthen the response, describe the stages more precisely and ensure the overview captures the loop from finished products back to the recycling bin.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction and overview are followed by a chronological account of the stages. Sequencing phrases such as “To begin with,” “After that,” and “finally” help the reader follow the process. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear, and the long process paragraph packs many stages together. For example, “then blocks are crushed through crushing machine.Two rollers…” needs clearer sentence separation, while “In addition to” does not introduce the final products naturally. Grouping the stages into clearer sections and using references such as “these pellets” or “the resulting material” would make progression smoother and reduce repetition.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of process vocabulary, including “compressed,” “crushed,” “pellets,” “raw materials,” and “end products,” which helps communicate the sequence. There are also attempts at more specific wording, such as “selected” and “assembled.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for this diagram: “sweepers” for the collection truck, “ingredients” for plastic pieces, and “plastic pans” for food containers. Phrases such as “in a good manner” and “grinded” are also unsuitable or incorrectly formed. Aim for precise process terms and natural collocations, checking that each noun names what is actually shown.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses with “where” and “while,” and the sequence is generally understandable. However, some errors in tense, agreement, articles and sentence boundaries reduce accuracy. For example, “Overall, the process is cyclic, involved 9 stages” shifts tense incorrectly; “Trucks carried out these waste materials” does not maintain a consistent present-tense description; and “then blocks are crushed through crushing machine” is missing an article. The run-on punctuation in “machine.Two rollers” also makes the passage harder to read. Use the present simple consistently for a process diagram, and check articles, verb forms and punctuation when editing.

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