Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-14

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 pictorial representation depicts the information about the how plastic bottles are recyled.

To begin with, in the initial step, bottles are threw in the dustbin then with the assistance of truck bottles are collected from bins. After that, collected bottles are sorted by manually in the boxes in the recycling centre. There after, bottles are compressed into blocks.

Moving ahead the remaining details, all the compressed bottles crushed by two sharp cutters and this material washed with water in the container. In the next step, this mixture put in the machine for manufactured plastic pallets. Following step, it is passed through heating pallets form raw material. Lastly, raw material is ready for the production of items.

Overall, it is evident that there are total nine steps in the whole process which start from throw bottles in the dustbins and ends with manufactured products.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You cover the main sequence from putting bottles in a bin through collection, sorting, processing and making products, and you identify that the process has nine stages and forms a cycle. However, the account is incomplete: it does not clearly report that the bottles are washed before being made into pellets, and it omits the examples of end products shown, such as containers, clothing and pencils. The overview says the process ends with manufactured products, but the diagram shows an upward arrow returning to the first stage, so the closed-loop feature should be made explicit. The response is also six words below the required minimum. Add the missing details and a more accurate overview.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: it follows the stages in order and separates the opening stages, later processing and overview into paragraphs. Sequencing phrases such as “To begin with,” “After that,” and “Lastly” help the reader follow the process. However, some links are mechanical or awkward, particularly “Moving ahead the remaining details,” and “Following step” lacks a clear grammatical connection to the previous sentence. The final overview also repeats the start-and-end idea rather than drawing together the cycle’s key feature. Use a wider range of clear transitions and connect each stage explicitly, especially the return from end products to the recycling bin.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “sorted,” “compressed,” “crushed,” “heating,” and “raw material,” which allows the reader to understand the general stages. There is some attempt at more specific wording, such as “pictorial representation” and “production of items.” However, several word choices or forms are inaccurate: “recylced” is misspelled, “pallets” is used where “pellets” is intended, and “dustbin” is less precise than “recycling bin” in this context. Phrases such as “sharp cutters” and “mixture” do not accurately describe the diagram. Aim for precise process terms and check spelling and collocations so that the description is both natural and faithful to the visual.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple sentences and longer sequences, using time clauses and passive constructions to describe a process. This gives the response some structural variety, but control is inconsistent and errors occur frequently. For example, “bottles are threw” has an incorrect passive verb form, while “collected bottles are sorted by manually” uses an incorrect construction. Several clauses omit necessary verbs or auxiliaries: “this material washed with water” and “this mixture put in the machine.” The phrase “heating pallets form raw material” also lacks a clear grammatical relationship between the actions. Practise accurate passive forms—such as “are collected,” “are sorted” and “are washed”—and check that every clause has a complete verb phrase.

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