Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-15
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 diagram shows that how plastic bottles are recycled which we were throwing as extra material or garbage material . Garbage bottels are taken up by the proper authority workers and send or transport to the factory where these bottels are sorted them into machine where these bottels are pressed and into a cubeike shape . This step makes easy to handle out millions of bottels in a single time instead of press one by one bottel . After porper sortment it becomes easy to crsuh all bottels in one time, after crshing small palstic peices are formed these peices are melted and after melting these peices become a single material called raw material after some time and some companies or industries use these raw materials for making different products including T-shirts ,bags jeans , and agin bottels and different plastic things qhich are used in our daily life and necessary for us.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
You identify the general subject and include several relevant stages, such as collection, sorting, compressing, crushing and making products. However, the account only partially covers the process: it omits the washing and pellet-making stages, and it does not clearly explain that the pellets are heated to create raw material. The description also adds unsupported details, including that workers transport the bottles and that the material is melted into a single mass. There is no clear overview of the complete cycle, including the return from end products to the recycling bin. To strengthen the response, summarise the loop first, then report the stages in order using only details shown in the diagram.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The stages are presented in a broadly chronological order, and linking phrases such as “After” and “after some time” help show that one event follows another. This gives the response some organisation. However, it is written as one long paragraph, with several stages crowded into a single sentence, so the progression is difficult to follow. Connections between steps are sometimes unclear—for example, “sorted them into machine” does not clearly show how sorting leads to compression. The repeated use of “these bottles” and “these pieces” also makes cohesion mechanical. Use separate paragraphs for an overview and the process details, and connect each stage explicitly with concise sequencing language.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use some task-related vocabulary, including “recycled,” “sorted,” “pressed,” “raw material” and “products,” so the main topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or spellings make the description less clear, such as “extra material,” “proper sortment,” “cubeike shape” and “single material.” Some expressions are also imprecise for a process diagram: bottles are “compressed into blocks,” while the diagram shows plastic being washed and made into pellets. Aim for accurate process vocabulary and check spelling carefully. Replacing informal or vague phrases with terms such as “discarded,” “compressed into blocks” and “plastic pellets” would make the account more precise.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5
The response attempts to combine ideas using clauses and sequencing phrases, but sentence structures are often faulty, and errors frequently make relationships between stages difficult to understand. For example, “shows that how plastic bottles are recycled” has an incorrect clause pattern, while “these bottles are sorted them into machine” combines incompatible structures. Verb forms and agreement are also inconsistent in “bottles are taken up … and send or transport,” and the long final sentence lacks clear punctuation. Use straightforward passive forms for the process, such as “The bottles are collected and transported to a recycling centre,” and divide long sentences into shorter, complete statements. This will improve control while still allowing you to use some complex sentences.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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