Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The given visual diagram display the process for recyling plastic items. One of the main plastic item are bottles

Overall, In this given diagram clearly shows the process of recyling the plastic bottles. How the people collects the bottles from their homes and shops and after the usage of plastic bottles they collect all the bottles and thow into the recyle basket.Then the Government Teams collect them all the materials and handover to the recycling centre and the factory workers works the plastic bottles materials and provides the good end products shape.

To start with how plastic bottles are recycled. Firslty Every member of the society collects all the waste bottles from their homes on daily basic or weekly bases to throw into the dust bin. The Recycling Team members Collects them all the materials from every society and move all the materials into the recycling centers. In the factory the members sort out all the plastic products. and compressing them into blocks and the machinery crush the materials.and washing them into and produce plastic pellets and heating them and producing end products.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy4.5
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the subject and give a broad account of the sequence, including sorting, compressing, crushing, washing and making pellets. The overview also recognises that the process leads to end products. However, the account is only partly accurate and developed: the diagram shows bottles being put in a recycling bin, collected by a truck, sorted at a recycling centre, and then processed into raw material before new products are made. Claims about collection from homes and shops, daily or weekly routines, and government teams are not shown. The final stages are also compressed together, and the return arrow completing the cycle is not explained. Describe only visible stages and make the closed-loop nature explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has an opening, an overview paragraph and a final paragraph that attempts to describe the stages, so there is some basic organisation. The sequence from collection to factory processing is generally recognisable. However, progression is weakened by repetition: the overview and the final paragraph both explain collection and recycling. Linking is limited, and the last sentence strings several stages together without showing their relationships clearly. The opening fragment, “To start with how plastic bottles are recycled,” also does not connect smoothly to what follows. Organise the process in clear chronological groups and use simple links such as “Next,” “After sorting,” and “Finally,” while avoiding repeated information.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “recycling centre,” “sort out,” “compressing,” “crush,” “washing,” and “plastic pellets.” This gives the reader a basic sense of the topic. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or repetitive, such as “materials” for bottles or plastic, “dust bin” for the recycling bin, and “good end products shape.” Spelling errors including “recyling,” “Firslty,” and “thow” also reduce clarity. Use precise terms from the diagram and vary them appropriately—for example, refer to “plastic bottles,” “recyclable items,” and “finished products.” Avoid adding unsupported labels such as “Government Teams.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts both simple statements and longer sentences, but control is inconsistent, and errors frequently make the relationships between ideas difficult to follow. For example, “The given visual diagram display” has subject–verb disagreement, while “One of the main plastic item are bottles” has problems with number and agreement. The overview begins “Overall, In this given diagram clearly shows,” which lacks a clear grammatical subject, and “the factory workers works” again shows disagreement. The final sentence also joins several actions without a controlled sentence structure. Build accurate short sentences first, checking singular and plural forms, articles and verb agreement; then add longer sentences using clear connectors such as “before” and “after.”

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