Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

This diagram illustrate the process by which plastic bottles are rostored into new products.

overall, the process have nine stages, starting from collection of waste plastic bottles and ending with production of products.

In the first process collection of waste bottles from material boxs, then move toward factory with the help of tank, in the next step sorting of bottles according to colour and shape. After that compressing the collected material into blocks, then crushed into small pieces with the help of machine and washed.

Furthermore, in the sixth process dry the small pieces, then heating pallets at high temperture then shaped in melted form, in next process shaped into raw material, at ending process this material is used for creation of products in the form of milk bottles, boxs and used for pencils also plastic bags somehow shirts are also made from plastic.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the overall sequence and give a broad overview: the process has nine stages and turns discarded bottles into new products. Several key stages are also included, such as sorting, compressing, crushing, washing and making pellets. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the diagram shows a collection truck, not a “tank”; sorting is not described as being by colour and shape; and drying is not shown. The account also muddles the later stages, where pellets are heated to form raw material before that material is used to make products. The response is six words below the required minimum, and the shortfall contributes to limited development of the process. Cover each stage accurately and explain the loop back to bottle use.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic overall structure, with an opening overview followed by a sequence of process details. Time and sequence markers such as “In the first process,” “After that,” and “Furthermore” help the reader follow the general order. However, the progression is not consistently clear: “in the sixth process dry the small pieces” is difficult to connect to the diagram, and the later stages are compressed into a long, loosely joined sentence beginning “then heating pallets.” The final list of products also lacks clear grouping. Use separate sentences or paragraphs for collection and sorting, processing, and the final products, and make each transition show precisely what happens next.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “sorting,” “compressing,” “crushed,” “washed,” and “raw material,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms make the description less precise: “rostored” appears to mean “recycled,” “tank” does not describe the collection vehicle, and “pallets” is used where the diagram shows plastic pellets. There are also spelling errors such as “temperture” and “boxs,” and repeated reliance on “process” and “material.” Build a more accurate set of terms for the stages and products, and check spelling and collocations before finishing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts to describe a sequence, but sentence structures are limited and several clauses are incomplete or poorly controlled. For example, “In the first process collection of waste bottles from material boxs” has no main verb, while “then crushed into small pieces” does not clearly identify what is being crushed. Agreement and verb forms are also problematic in “This diagram illustrate” and “the process have nine stages.” The long final sentence joins several ideas without reliable punctuation, making the relationships between stages harder to follow. Practise writing complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and use consistent present simple forms for process descriptions, such as “The bottles are collected and transported.”

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