Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The diagram demonstrates the process for recycling plastic bottles into the new products.

Overall, it is a cyclical process that begins with consumers disposing of bottlesand ends with the creation of new items such as clothing and containers which are then reuse.

In the first stage, people throw used plastic bottles into recycling bins.These bottles are then collected by a garbage truck and transported to a recycling centres. At the centre, workers manually sort the recycle bottles from non-recyclable waste.The sorted plastic is then compressed into large blocks in the fourth stage.

Following this , the blocks are crushed into small pieces and washed them for any impurities. After washing these,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the process as cyclical and accurately describe its opening stages: bottles are discarded, collected, sorted, compressed, and crushed. However, the response stops during washing, so it omits the later stages that are essential to summarising the diagram: producing pellets, heating them into raw material, making end products, and returning to the start of the cycle. The overview mentions new items but does not explain the full transformation or loop. The response also contains 111 words, below the required 150, which contributes to the incomplete coverage. To improve, complete the sequence and include a concise overview of how the material becomes products that can re-enter the recycling process.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph describing the early stages in sequence. Connectors such as “In the first stage” and “Following this” help signal progression. However, the account ends abruptly with “After washing these,” leaving the final sentence unfinished and the process without a conclusion. The paragraphing also does not provide a complete progression from collection through to the production of new goods. Some transitions are awkwardly punctuated, such as “Following this ,” and spacing around sentence boundaries is inconsistent. Organise the stages into a complete sequence, use clear links between each transformation, and finish with the return loop.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “disposed,” “collected,” “transported,” “sorted,” “compressed,” and “crushed.” These choices make the early stages understandable, and “cyclical process” is an appropriate summary phrase. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or imprecise: “garbage truck” is less suitable than “collection truck,” “recycle bottles” should be “recyclable bottles,” and “washed them for any impurities” is not a natural expression. “New products” is also broad where the diagram shows examples such as clothing and containers. Aim for precise process terms and natural combinations, such as “washed to remove impurities” and “converted into raw material.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex forms, including the overview clause “which are then reuse” and the sequence “After washing these.” Most of the early-stage sentences communicate their meaning, but some grammatical errors remain. In “which are then reuse,” the passive form should be “which are then reused.” “At the centre” is followed by “a recycling centres,” where the article and plural do not agree, and “After washing these,” is an incomplete clause. There are also missing spaces after full stops, as in “bottlesand” and “bins.These.” Use complete sentences throughout, check agreement and passive verb forms, and proofread punctuation and spacing.

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