Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 picture below depicts the process of how plastic bottles are recycled.

In the beginning, plastic bottles are thrown into a recycle bin after bieng used by people, then those empty bottles are collected by garbage trucks. Thirdly, the bottles are then sent to recycling centre for sorting as those bottles are separated from the defected bottles to determine which bottles are in a acceptable condition to be recycled. Afterwards, those sorted bottles are then compressed into blocks by machines. Then those blocks are crushed and stored into a container filled with water to be washed. Moving on, the material after being washed is put into a machine to produce plastic palletes before turning them into raw material. Moreover, those pellets are heated to form raw materials which then are sorted into compact box like structures. Lastly, several end products are produced from those raw material for instance, plastic bottles, plastic boxes, t-shirts, pencils, and shoppers for shopping, which later on returns to the garbage bins after usage to be recycled again.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You cover the main sequence from disposal and collection through sorting, processing, and the production of new goods, and you correctly indicate that the process loops back for recycling. However, the account is largely a stage-by-stage description rather than a clear overview of the process’s key features. Some details are inaccurate or unclear: the diagram shows sorting into accepted and rejected bottles, not simply separating “defected” bottles to assess their condition, and the raw material is shown as bundled blocks or sacks rather than being “sorted into compact box like structures.” The final return is also to the recycling bin, not specifically to garbage bins. A concise overview and more precise reporting of the sorting and raw-material stages would make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The stages are presented in a generally logical order, and sequencing expressions such as “In the beginning,” “Afterwards,” “Moving on,” and “Lastly” help the reader follow the process. The final reference to the loop also gives the description a sense of completion. However, the response is written as one long paragraph, so the overview and the detailed stages are not clearly distinguished. Some linking is mechanical, with repeated “then” and “those,” and the sentence beginning “Moving on” combines washing, pellet production, and the next stage in a way that makes the sequence less clear. Use a separate overview and group related stages into paragraphs, while varying transitions and making references more precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “compressed,” “crushed,” “washed,” “pellets,” and “raw material,” which helps communicate the stages. There is also some attempt at more specific description, such as “end products.” However, several word choices and spelling errors reduce precision: “bieng” and “palletes” are misspelled, “garbage trucks” is less accurate than a recycling collection truck, and “shoppers for shopping” is an awkward description of a carrier bag. “Defected bottles” is also not a natural phrase for bottles rejected during sorting. Choose standard process terms and check spelling; for example, use “rejected bottles,” “recycling truck,” and “carrier bags.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including clauses with “after,” “which,” and “before,” and the overall meaning is usually understandable. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with articles, agreement, and sentence construction. For example, “sent to recycling centre” needs an article, while “in a acceptable condition” should be “in an acceptable condition.” In “several end products are produced from those raw material,” the noun should be plural, and “which later on returns” has an unclear reference and agreement problem. The long final sentence also joins several ideas without clear control. Practise accurate article use and agreement, and divide long sentences so each stage has a clear subject and verb.

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