Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-22

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 picture illustrates the recycling pf plastic bottles. A brief look at the diagram is enough to make it clear that plastic bottles is recycled and rest to the recycle process.

overall, it can be seen that the recycling of the plastic bottles process is long and involving many steps. Plastic bottles are non-biodigradable product and is impotant to recycled for save the environment.

In the first step, the used plastic bottles are throw then and send for recycle transport by trucks. After arrive the trucks sent for recycling centre for sorting and then compressing into blocks. After this process blocks are move for crushing and washing. in sixth step plastic bottles are producing plastic pellets. There this plastic pellets heating to form raw material. Next its make raw material. In the last step clothes, pencil, bag and many other things done by raw material for sale and the process begin again.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the subject and describe the main sequence from disposal and collection through sorting, processing, and making new products. You also note that the process begins again, which captures the diagram’s circular nature. However, the overview is not sufficiently clear: “long and involving many steps” does not explain the key stages or how the loop works, and the environmental comment about bottles being non-biodegradable is not a feature shown in the diagram. Some details are inaccurate or unclear, particularly “used plastic bottles are throw then” and “clothes, pencil, bag” as the final products; the diagram shows a T-shirt, pencils, a carrier bag, bottles, and food containers. A more precise overview and fuller reporting of the stages would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure, moving from an introduction and overview to a description of the process. Sequencing phrases such as “In the first step,” “After this process,” and “In the last step” help the reader follow the general order. However, progression is uneven, and some links are unclear or repetitive. For example, “After arrive the trucks sent for recycling centre” makes the relationship between collection and sorting difficult to follow, while “There this plastic pellets heating” does not clearly connect the pellet-making and heating stages. The overview also introduces environmental information that interrupts the process description. Use clear stage-by-stage sentences and consistent linking expressions, and ensure each reference such as “this” or “its” has an unmistakable meaning.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “sorting,” “compressing,” “crushing,” “washing,” “plastic pellets,” and “raw material,” so the reader can recognise several stages. However, the range is limited and some word choices or forms make the description difficult to understand. Phrases such as “recycle transport,” “done by raw material,” and “the process begin again” are not natural or precise for this diagram. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “pf,” “biodigradable,” and “impotant.” Aim to use accurate process collocations, for example, bottles are “collected by truck,” “crushed,” and “heated to produce raw material.” Check spelling and choose specific names for the products shown.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to describe a sequence using both simple sentences and longer constructions, but control of sentence structure and verb forms is inconsistent. Errors occur in basic clauses, as in “plastic bottles is recycled,” “the used plastic bottles are throw,” and “this plastic pellets heating.” Agreement, passive forms, and tense need particular attention. Several sentences also lack a clear grammatical structure, such as “After arrive the trucks sent for recycling centre for sorting,” which obscures who is doing what. The final sentence, “the process begin again,” also has a subject–verb agreement error. Practise forming accurate passive sentences for processes—for example, “The bottles are collected and taken to a recycling centre”—before adding more complex links.

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