Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-19

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 process of recycle of plastic into useful products

In this report we come to know the whole process of recycling the plastic step by step until a product is formed

Manufacturing of plastic products is widely happenning across the globe but due to the moleculer and physical structure of plastic it is not easy to decompose just like paper and other biodegradeable things so we have another option to reuse it by recycling it and turn it into another something which is again used by people.

To recycle the plastic, the process occurs in 9 different steps. First of all recycliing agencies or trashman collect the used plastic trash or waste from the garbage or trashbin where it is then further move to recycling centre through recycling van which collect plastic waste from everywhere (around the streets, from the domestic wastes and garbage carts). When the recycling trash van forward those plastic waste to centre after collecting it the cetre sort out all the plastic waste items and the process is then moved to third step which is compressing those plastic wastes into blocks to form a plastic unit.

After that these compressed plastic blocks crush into many small pieces and get wash by a machine where it is then take out and move further to a pellet forming machine to turn it into pellet and heat the,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the process as recycling plastic and describe several relevant early stages, including collection, sorting, compressing, crushing, washing and pellet production. However, the account is only partial: it stops mid-sentence at “heat the,” so the later stages—heating pellets into raw material, forming end products and the loop back to the start—are not reported. The overview is also unclear; the introduction says a product is formed but does not summarise the complete cycle. Some details, such as collection “from everywhere” and “domestic wastes,” are not shown in the diagram. To strengthen the response, give a concise overview of the full cycle and accurately cover its final stages.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some organisation: the response begins with an introduction, gives background, and then follows the process from collection towards pellet production. Sequencing phrases such as “First of all” and “After that” help show order. However, the progression is weakened by a long, crowded paragraph containing several stages and repeated explanations of the truck’s collection and delivery. The final sentence is unfinished, leaving the sequence without a conclusion or clear endpoint. The opening background paragraph also interrupts the process description rather than helping organise it. Use separate paragraphs for a brief overview and the main stages, and connect each stage once with clear, consistent sequencing.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some task-related vocabulary, including “recycling centre,” “compressing,” “blocks,” “crush,” and “pellet,” so the main subject is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or repetitive, such as “trash,” “waste,” and “plastic” appearing repeatedly, and “recycling van” for the collection truck. There are also noticeable spelling and word-form errors, including “recycliing,” “moleculer,” “biodegradeable,” and “cet re” (written as “cetre”), which reduce precision. Aim for concise process vocabulary and accurate collocations, for example “plastic waste is collected,” “sorted,” and “processed into pellets,” rather than adding unsupported collection details.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt longer sentences with subordinate clauses, for example “due to the … structure of plastic it is not easy to decompose,” and use sequencing clauses to describe the stages. However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors frequently make the process harder to follow. Examples include “Manufacturing … is widely happenning,” “the process occurs in 9 different steps,” and “these compressed plastic blocks crush … and get wash,” where verb forms and agreement are not controlled. The final clause, “heat the,” is incomplete, and punctuation is inconsistent in the long sentences. Practise accurate passive forms for process descriptions, such as “the bottles are sorted,” “the blocks are crushed,” and “the pellets are heated,” using shorter sentences where needed.

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