Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-21

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 word recycling means use again and again.In the first diagram a man though the bottle in the trolley which is used for the collecting of plastics. Many people through the plastic as a waste in the dustbin because thy think that it is not use able.In the second picture a truck is being used for the collection of the waste in othe other words we can say that it is collected for the recycling purpose.In the third picture there is a recycling center,the center where recycling occurs.In this center plastic is melted at high presure of heat an converted into the other useful substance.plastic which is used many times is being used for toys.After the melting process its compressing occurs. This compressing process help us to change the shape of the material into a new product.There is crushing occurs in the mashine and ater this pellets are produced an the material which comes after this process is used to make a new product.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify some relevant early stages, including putting bottles in a bin, collection by truck, sorting at a recycling centre, and later crushing and pellet production. However, the account does not accurately summarise the full process: it omits washing, heating pellets to form raw material, and the production of end products, as well as the loop back to bottle use. Several details are invented or misplaced: the diagram does not show plastic being melted at the sorting centre or toys being made, and compression happens before crushing, not after melting. There is also no clear overview of the process as a cycle. To improve, describe the main stages in order and distinguish what the diagram shows from assumptions about recycling.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response follows a rough sequence by referring to the first, second, and third pictures, then moving to later processing stages. This gives the reader some sense of progression. However, the ideas are crowded into one paragraph and the links between stages are often unclear. For example, “After the melting process its compressing occurs” does not connect accurately to the diagram’s sequence, while “After this process” is used without making clear which process is meant. The opening definition also interrupts the process description rather than introducing its overall pattern. Organise the response into a brief overview and a chronological account, using clear stage references such as “Next” and “Finally” only where they accurately signal the sequence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-related vocabulary, including “recycling center,” “collection,” “compressing,” “crushing,” and “pellets,” so the reader can recognise the general subject. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or repetitive, which sometimes makes the process difficult to follow. “Trolley” is not the recycling bin shown, and “melted at high presure of heat” does not describe the sorting stage. Phrases such as “new product” and “useful substance” are repeated or too general to identify the diagram’s outputs. Work on precise process vocabulary and natural collocations, for example “place bottles in a recycling bin,” “sort the bottles,” and “form raw material.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt to connect ideas in longer sentences, for example by using “because” and “after,” but control is inconsistent and sentence boundaries are often unclear. Errors include “Many people through the plastic,” “its compressing occurs,” and “This compressing process help us,” where verb forms, agreement, or sentence construction interfere with meaning. Missing spaces after full stops and inconsistent capitalisation also make the response harder to read. Most sentences rely on simple patterns, and attempts to combine several stages often produce faulty structures. Practise writing one clear sentence for each stage, checking subject–verb agreement and verb forms, and use full stops to separate complete ideas.

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