Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The diagram illustrates the process of recycling plastic bottles and converting them into new items.

Overall, the process consists of nine ages, starting from throwing used plastic bottles into recycling bins , ending up to be recycled into new products that can be recycled again .

It is a cyclical process.

To initiate , people diapose their used plastic items into a recycling bin, these bottles are then collected by a recycling trunk, transported to a recycling centre, there where they separate bottles that could be restored from unsuitable waste.

Afterward, selected bottles are comptessed into large blocks to be crushed to small pieces by a specific machine , then the pieces are washed from any dirt.

On the following stage, pelletes are produced and heated to from raw materials. Then ends up to be produced as a variety of new items, including clothes , for instace shirts,pencils, food containers , new bottles and even shopping bags.The plastic bottles can be placed in a recycling bin again, allowing to the process to continue

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main stages and give a clear overview that the process is cyclical, beginning with disposal and ending with products that can be recycled again. The sequence from collection and sorting through compression, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating is generally accurate, and you include examples of the end products. This meets the task well, though some details are less fully reported: for example, the sorting stage’s separation of acceptable bottles from rejected waste could be stated more precisely, and the raw material stage is only briefly mentioned. To strengthen the response further, make the overview more concise and ensure each stage is described with accurate, clear wording.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows the process in its correct order, and paragraphing separates the overview from the detailed account. Sequencing expressions such as “To initiate,” “Afterward,” and “On the following stage” help the reader track the stages. However, the progression is weakened by awkward or unclear links, including “transported to a recycling centre, there where they separate” and “Then ends up to be produced.” The overview is also split across two short statements, while the final sentence combines the return to the bin with the conclusion. Use clearer sentence boundaries and consistent transitions, and group the stages into a more deliberate progression so cohesion feels less mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “recycling centre,” “crushed,” “washed,” “raw materials,” and “variety of new items,” which allows the reader to understand the main stages. There is also some range in describing the products. However, noticeable spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision: “ages” for stages, “diapose,” “trunk,” “comptessed,” “pelletes,” and “from” for form. Some expressions are also unnatural, such as “restored” for bottles accepted for recycling and “washed from any dirt.” Check spelling carefully and choose standard process collocations, for example “sorted,” “compressed into blocks,” and “washed to remove dirt.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “items that can be recycled again” and a sequence joined with “then.” However, the range is limited and complex sentences are often faulty, so errors sometimes make relationships between stages difficult to follow. Examples include the fragment-like construction “transported to a recycling centre, there where they separate,” the incorrect passive form “Then ends up to be produced,” and “allowing to the process to continue.” There are also problems with articles, punctuation spacing and sentence boundaries. Practise forming accurate passive clauses for process descriptions, such as “The bottles are transported…” and “The pellets are heated…,” and proofread each sentence for a complete subject and verb.

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