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 given process chat illustrates that journey of plastic bottles into products goes through nine different stages. Throughing plastic into the bin, collecting, sending them to recycling centre till makes it into new by products such as: tiffin boxes, t-shirts.

Overall, the process shows that how the basic plastic bottles reused as making usefull things.

Firstly, the plastic bottles are thrown by the people into big dustbins, from these big dustbin the garbage collect them and send to the recycling centre: sorting. In these centre platic bottles are seperated and further these bottles send for the compressing into blocks.

In fifth step it passes through the curshing, after curshing these particals are washed so that it will be clean for further process. After that producing plastic pellets was done by machines. in 7th step heating was done to form raw material these raw material furthre used to make new bottles, tiffin boxes, t-shirts, pencils, pens, carry bags.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the process as having nine stages and give a relevant overall summary: bottles are collected and turned into useful products. You also report several key steps accurately, including sorting, compressing, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating. However, some important details are unclear or missing. The sorting stage separates suitable bottles from unsuitable ones, and the diagram shows the finished raw material being used to produce a range of end products before the cycle returns to the recycling bin. Your account also says the raw material is used to make “new bottles,” which is not shown as a specific end product. Develop the overview and describe the complete loop more precisely to make coverage more even.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview into the stages, and “Firstly,” “In fifth step,” and “After that” help signal sequence. The process is generally understandable. However, progression becomes less clear in places: the opening compresses several stages into one sentence, while the final sentence combines heating, raw material and a list of products without clearly showing the links between them. References such as “these centre,” “these bottles,” and “these raw material” are also not always clear. Use separate sentences for the main stages and consistent sequencing language, then finish by explicitly describing the return arrow that completes the cycle.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “recycling centre,” “compressing,” “crushing,” “washed,” “pellets,” and “raw material,” which allows the reader to follow the basic process. However, the range is limited and several word-choice, collocation and spelling problems reduce precision. For example, “garbage collect them” does not clearly name the collection truck, “Throughing” is not the correct form, and “tiffin boxes” may be less suitable than the diagram’s “food containers.” Errors such as “platic,” “seperated,” and “curshing” are noticeable. Build a more accurate process vocabulary and check spelling; alternatives such as “are transported,” “are sorted,” and “finished products” would make the description clearer and more formal.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a passive construction in “the plastic bottles are thrown” and a purpose clause in “so that it will be clean.” However, control is inconsistent, and errors sometimes make relationships between stages difficult to follow. Examples include “illustrates that journey,” “shows that how,” and “from these big dustbin the garbage collect them,” where articles, sentence structure and verb forms are problematic. There are also issues with agreement and number in “these raw material … used.” Use the present simple consistently for a process, and practise accurate passive forms such as “the bottles are collected” and “the material is heated.” Shorter, complete sentences will help you control grammar while retaining some complex structures.

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