Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-18

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 4.5)

The diagram shows the process for recycling plastic bottles.

the information by selecting and reporting the main features,plastic bottles are recycled.

when the whole community thrown the plastic bottles garbage in dust bin and the persons who are taking this garbage and transport it to the recycling centre this process is called sorting after this they compress it into block also crushing into small particals whole the process taking time and effort.

After washing the next step is producing

plastic pellets and Heating pellets to

form raw material then convert it to the raw material at the end the last process is to make final products like plastic kitchen gadgets also baskets and t shirts pollythien polythene bags and some little products for children like toys and mini buses plastic recycling process is not a short cuts or simple its taking time and spending hours on it so its a lengthy way to recycle.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the topic and describe several central stages, including collection, sorting, compressing, washing, pellet production and making new products. However, the account is incomplete and sometimes unclear: it does not explain that unsuitable bottles are rejected during sorting, and it omits the return arrow that makes the process a closed loop. The overview is also weak; the comment that recycling is “not a short cuts or simple” is an opinion rather than a clear summary of the diagram’s main features. The response is below the required 150 words; the nine words copied from the task prompt are excluded from the count. To improve, give a concise overview and report the stages accurately, including the cycle back to bottle disposal.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The stages are presented in roughly the correct order, and phrases such as “After washing” and “at the end” help the reader follow parts of the process. However, the response is largely one continuous paragraph, with no clear separation between an overview and the detailed sequence. Several ideas run together, particularly the opening sentence about the community, collectors and sorting, while the final opinion about the process being lengthy interrupts the description. The line breaks around “producing plastic pellets” also disrupt the flow. Organise the response into paragraphs, use clear stage-to-stage links, and keep the account focused on the diagram so that progression is easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “recycling centre,” “compress,” “crushing,” “washing,” “pellets” and “raw material,” which allows the reader to recognise the main stages. However, the range is limited and several choices or spellings make the description less precise, such as “particals,” “pollythien,” and “short cuts.” “Garbage in dust bin” and “little products for children” are also imprecise for an academic process description. Aim for accurate, specific terms and avoid informal or evaluative wording. For example, describe the final items as “consumer products” and refer to the initial container as a “recycling bin.” Proofreading spelling and choosing standard collocations would make the vocabulary more reliable.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to connect stages in longer sentences, but grammatical control is inconsistent and errors sometimes make relationships between actions unclear. For example, “when the whole community thrown” lacks a correctly formed verb, and “the persons who are taking this garbage and transport it” shifts tense and does not form a clear clause. The sentence beginning “After washing” also changes into a list without a complete, well-controlled structure. Capitalisation and punctuation are inconsistent, including the lowercase opening after the first sentence and the long run-on sequence of ideas. Use complete sentences with consistent present simple forms, such as “Bottles are collected and transported to a recycling centre,” and check subject–verb agreement and sentence boundaries.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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