Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

THE GIVEN DIAGRAM ILLUSTRATES THE PROCESS FOR RECYCLING PLASTIC BOTTLES. THIS MAINLY INCLUDE NINE STEPS.

IN AN OVERVIEW, IT IS CLEARLY SEEN THAT THE PLASTIC BOTTLES ARE RECYCLING. FIRSTLY, PLASTIC BOTTLES ARE THROWN IN BIN . WHILE IN THE END IT IS READY FOR FINAL USE .

FIRSTLY, PLASTIC BOTTLES THROUGH IN DUSTBIN AFTER USING. WHEREAS, TRUCK CARRY ALL THOSE PLASTIC AND REACHED AT RECYCLING CENTRE. THE COLLECTING PLASTIC BOTTLES ARE SORTING IN DIFFERENT BOXES. WHEREAS, THE SORTING PLASTIC BOTTLESS ARE COMPRESSING PLACED INTO BLOCKS. THE COMPRESSING PLASTIC BOTTLES ARE CRUSHED. AFTER THAT CRUSHING PLASTIC IS WASH AND THEN THROUGH IN PRODUCING PLASTIC PELLETS. HOWEVER, THE PLASTIC PELLETS ARE HEAT TO PRODUCE RAW MATERIAL. FURTHERMORE, THE PLASTIC CONVERTED INTO RAW MATERIAL AND LASTLY READY FOR FINAL USE. AND RAW MATERIAL PRODUCE NEW PRODUCTS.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the process as having nine stages and include several key steps, such as collection, sorting, compressing, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating. However, the overview is unclear and does not explain the cycle’s main feature: new products can return to the recycling bin. The final stages are also under-reported; you say the material is “ready for final use” but do not describe the examples of end products shown. Some details are imprecise, including “sorting in different boxes” rather than separating accepted and rejected bottles. The response is 133 words, below the required 150, which limits the detail provided. Develop a clear overview and describe the full sequence, including the loop back to the start.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows the general order of the process, so readers can trace the bottles from disposal through to the production of new goods. The opening, overview and process description also provide some basic organisation. However, the overview repeats the opening rather than summarising the cycle, and the body is presented as one long paragraph. Linking words such as “whereas,” “however” and “furthermore” are often used where a simple sequence marker would be clearer; “whereas” suggests a contrast that is not present. Group the stages into a clear sequence and use connectors such as “next,” “after this” and “finally” accurately. A separate overview and logically grouped process stages would make progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “recycling centre,” “compressing,” “crushed,” “plastic pellets” and “raw material,” which helps communicate the topic. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate, sometimes making the meaning less clear. For example, “through in dustbin” does not express disposal naturally, “the collecting plastic bottles” is awkward, and “the plastic converted into raw material” is imprecise. “Final use” is also too general for the products illustrated. Aim for accurate process collocations and vary repeated references to plastic bottles with terms such as “the bottles” or “the material.” Check spelling and word forms, including “bottless,” to improve clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts a few longer structures, including “After that…” and “However…,” but most sentences rely on basic patterns, and errors are frequent enough to make some relationships unclear. Verb forms are a particular weakness: “bottles are recycling,” “truck carry,” “are sorting” and “are heat” do not use the required passive forms consistently. There are also problems with articles, agreement and sentence boundaries, as in “thrown in bin” and the fragment “Whereas, truck carry…”. Use the present simple passive for stages in a process—for example, “the bottles are sorted” and “the pellets are heated”—and check each sentence for a complete subject and verb. More accurate sentence construction would make the sequence easier to understand.

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