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)

I will summarise the process for recycling plastic bottles, In this Process First they collect all the plastic bottles and then send all the empty bottles to the recycling centre where the sepatrate which things are usefull and not After the separation process they compress all the usefull material into blocks and then crush that into pieces, and wash all, then producing the plastic pellets in the machine for heating pellets to form raw material

From the raw material they produce bags, clothes, pens, storage units , bottles, and we purchase these things what we want after use we throw these things again

In this process 2 things are very common, One is Producing things and the other one is recycling process

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the general subject and report several central stages, including collection, sorting, compressing, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating to create raw material. You also recognise that the process loops back after products are used. However, the account is incomplete and underdeveloped: it omits the recycling truck as a distinct stage and does not clearly explain that the raw material is used to make a range of end products before the cycle begins again. The final comment about “2 things” is vague rather than a clear overview of the process’s main features. The response is also 28 words below the required minimum, limiting the detail you can provide. Describe the full sequence and give a concise, accurate overview.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic sequence, using “then” and “after” to guide the reader through several stages, and the separate paragraph about products and reuse helps distinguish the later part of the cycle. However, most of the process is compressed into one long sentence, so the stages are difficult to follow and the progression is not clearly organised into an introduction, overview and detailed account. The final sentence, “In this process 2 things are very common,” does not connect clearly to the preceding description. Use separate sentences or paragraphs for collection and processing, then products and the return loop. More precise links such as “next,” “following this,” and “finally” would make the sequence clearer without relying repeatedly on “then.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “recycling centre,” “compress,” “crush,” “plastic pellets,” and “raw material,” which allows the reader to recognise the main stages. However, the range is limited and several choices are imprecise or informal for a process description. “Things” is repeated instead of naming bottles, materials or products, while “usefull” and “sepatrate” are misspelled, and “storage units” does not clearly match the diagram’s examples. The phrase “we purchase these things what we want” is also awkward and does not describe the diagram precisely. Aim for specific terms such as “sort,” “reusable plastic,” and “finished products,” and check spelling and collocations. This will make the account more precise and easier to understand.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt to connect several stages with clauses, for example, “After the separation process they compress all the usefull material into blocks and then crush that into pieces.” This shows an effort to describe a sequence, but the response relies heavily on long, loosely joined sentences, and errors frequently affect clarity. The opening has incorrect capitalisation and punctuation (“I will summarise…, In this Process First…”), and “where the sepatrate” lacks a clear grammatical subject and verb form. In “we purchase these things what we want,” the relative clause is incorrectly formed. Use shorter, complete sentences with a clear subject and verb at each stage, and check clause links, articles and punctuation. A wider mix of accurately controlled sentence patterns would improve readability.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.