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 diagram iullustrate the propotion of recycling plastic bottles in several stages.

Overall, the process is recycling therefore the first stage is to collect products from trash and at end the raw materials are changed in new products.

Furthermore, at start the waste product are collected from trash. Afer that it is loaded to truck for sorting in factry. In additionly it comressed in blocks for crushing by machine in factory. While it after crushing waste block the machine seperate water form it and further it is send to machine.

In constrat, the machine changed the waste to raw material. Then the material is heated to form pellets. From pellets they produce other products.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the diagram as a recycling process and give a brief overview that bottles are collected and eventually made into new products. You also mention sorting, compression and crushing, so the response includes some relevant stages. However, the account is only partial: it omits the recycling bin and collection truck as distinct steps, washing, the production of plastic pellets, and the final range of products. The sequence is also confused: you say the material is heated to form pellets, whereas pellets are produced before they are heated to form raw material. The overview is too general to capture the full cycle. The response is 114 words, below the required 150, which further limits the detail reported.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure, with an overview followed by descriptions of the process, and it uses linking expressions such as “Overall,” “After that,” and “Furthermore.” These help signal that the stages are being described. However, progression is not consistently clear: “In contrast” does not express a meaningful contrast in a single process, and “While it after crushing…” makes the relationship between crushing, washing and the next machine difficult to follow. The final paragraph also reverses the relationship between pellets and heating. Organise the stages in the diagram’s order and use simple, accurate links such as “Next,” “After washing,” and “Finally.” Clearer sentence boundaries and references would make the sequence easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “recycling,” “sorting,” “blocks,” “crushing,” “machine” and “raw material,” which allows the reader to recognise the general subject. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms make the process unclear. For example, “proportion of recycling” is not suitable for describing a process, and “seperate water form it” does not accurately describe the washing stage. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “iullustrate,” “propotion,” “Afer,” “comressed” and “constrat.” Aim for precise process vocabulary, such as “bottles are transported,” “the plastic is washed,” and “pellets are heated,” and check spelling and word forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple sentences and longer constructions, for example, “Overall, the process is recycling therefore…” and “While it after crushing waste block…”. However, the longer sentences are often faulty, and errors in verb forms, agreement, articles and sentence structure sometimes make the meaning difficult to follow. Examples include “the waste product are collected,” “it comressed,” and “the machine changed the waste,” where the forms do not clearly express the stages of a process. The opening sentence also lacks a clear grammatical structure. Use consistent present simple passive forms for this diagram, such as “The bottles are collected,” “They are compressed,” and “The pellets are heated.” Short, complete sentences would help you control accuracy before attempting more complex links.

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