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 DIAGRAM ILLUSTRATE THE PROCESS OF RECYCLING PLASTIC BOTTLES.

OVERALL THE RECYCLING OF BOTTLES ARE START FROM DUSTBIN BOX THEN ALL PLASTIC BOTTLES WILL COLLECT IN A TRUCK. AFTERALL THE ALL PLASTIC BOTTLES WILL GO TO RECYCLING CENTER TO SORTING THE BOTTLES THE SORTING BOTTLES CAN DO ON A MACHINE THEN THE BOTTLE SHAPE TURN TO BLOCK AND THEN THE BLOCK CRUSH INTO TINY PECES AND ALSO PECES ARE DROP INTO WATER FOR WASHING AND THEN IT WILL PRODUCING IN BEAD BALLS THEN HEATING THE BEAD BALLS FORM RAW MATERIAL. THEN IT WILL KEEP ON AVERAGE TEMPREATURE HEAT ON FEW HOURS FOR DONE THE ALL PROCESS AND AFTERALL THE PROCESS DONE IT WILL BE SEND TO ANOTHER FACTORY FOR MAKING THE BAG AND OTHER PRODUCTS WHICH SHOULD BE MAKE FROM THE PLASTIC THEY TRANSFER TO THE PLASTIC PRODUCT MAKING COMPANY TO MAKE THE BAGS AND REMAKE THE BOTTLES FOR UPCOMMING PRODUCTS.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main subject and cover much of the sequence, from putting bottles in a bin and collection by truck through sorting, crushing, washing, pellet production and making new products. This gives the reader a basic account of the process. However, the overview is not clearly separated from the details, and some information is inaccurate or invented: the diagram does not show bottles being kept at an average temperature for several hours, nor does it specify transfer to another factory. The sorting stage also includes rejecting unsuitable bottles, which you do not explain. To make the account more complete and precise, give a concise overview of the closed-loop process and report only stages shown in the diagram.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The stages are generally presented in the correct order, and repeated use of “then” helps signal that the process continues. However, the response is written as one long block, so the overview and process details are not clearly distinguished. Linking words are often repetitive or awkward, as in “then,” “afterall,” and “and then,” while several ideas run together without clear boundaries. The ending also repeats the idea of making products and bottles. Organise the response into a brief overview and a logically grouped description of the stages, and use a wider range of accurate sequencing expressions. Clear sentence boundaries would make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “recycling center,” “sorting,” “crush,” “raw material,” and “products,” so the topic is usually recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate, such as “bead balls” for pellets and “bottle shape turn to block.” Spelling errors including “peces,” “tempreature,” and “upcomming” also reduce clarity. Some phrases are repetitive, particularly “plastic bottles” and “afterall the process.” Build a more precise set of process terms and check spelling and collocations; this will help you describe each stage without relying on repeated general words.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to connect stages in longer sentences, but these structures are often faulty, and there is little evidence of controlled sentence variety. Errors in verb forms and agreement appear throughout: “The diagram illustrate,” “bottles are start,” and “it will producing” should use correctly formed verbs. Articles and sentence construction are also problematic in phrases such as “the bottle shape turn to block” and “for done the all process.” These errors sometimes make relationships between actions difficult to understand. Practise writing short, accurate sentences in the present simple for process descriptions, then combine them with carefully formed passive structures, such as “the bottles are sorted” and “the pellets are heated.”

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