Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-11

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 diagram mentions steps involves in converting plastic bottles to recycle to useful materials.

This cyclic chain of processes invloves various steps like crushing plastic, passing through a machine and producing the raw materials used in various kind of products.

The plastic wastes are collected from trashbins then move towards the recycling centre in a garbage truck for sorting. The garbage is then crushed by massive machineries and the debris are washed away before passing through a machine which produce plastic pellets.

The raw materials are heated upto some extent by the machine and make the end products which can then be used afterwards in many useful areas like

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the diagram as a recycling process and mention several relevant stages, including collection, sorting, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating. However, the account is incomplete: it stops before clearly explaining that the heated material becomes raw material, is used to produce end products, and returns to the start of the cycle. The overview is also vague, and some details are inaccurate or unclear—for example, “the debris are washed away” suggests waste is removed rather than plastic being washed. The response is 109 words, below the required 150, which contributes to the limited coverage. To improve, describe the full cycle in sequence and include its outcome and circular nature.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some basic organisation: the opening introduces the process, and the next paragraph follows several stages in roughly chronological order. Linking expressions such as “then,” “before,” and “which can then” help connect events. However, the response has no clear concluding account of the later stages, and the final sentence trails off after “like,” leaving the progression unfinished. The first two sentences also repeat the general idea rather than establishing a concise overview. Use separate paragraphs for an overview and the main stages, then guide the reader through the complete sequence with clear transitions, including the return from end products to the recycling bin.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “sorting,” “crushed,” “washed,” “plastic pellets,” and “raw materials,” so the topic is generally understandable. The range is limited, however, and several choices are imprecise or awkward: “trashbins,” “garbage,” and “debris” do not clearly describe recyclable bottles, while “useful areas” is vague. There are also spelling and word-form errors, such as “invloves” and “machineries.” Aim for precise process terms and natural collocations, for example “recycling bin,” “plastic is washed,” and “manufacture a range of products.” Avoid repeating broad words such as “machine” when a more specific description is available.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response includes simple statements and some attempts at longer structures, such as “The garbage is then crushed … before passing through a machine which produce plastic pellets.” However, errors are frequent enough to make several sentences awkward or unclear. For example, “steps involves” has subject–verb disagreement, “which produce” should agree with “machine,” and “The raw materials are heated … and make the end products” gives the materials an unclear role in the sentence. The final sentence is also incomplete. Practise accurate passive forms for process descriptions, such as “The plastic is crushed and washed before it is processed into pellets,” and check agreement, articles and sentence completion.

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