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)
the diagram illustrates the various stages involved in recycling the plastic bottles .plastic bottles from their disposle to production and reusing products .
overall , the process consist of nine stages ,begning with the used plastic bottle and ending with the manufactring and reuse of recycled products . it is a cyclical process as newly produce plastic bottle can be recycled repatdly .
initially ,used plastic bottles are diposited in designeated recycling bins before being collected by a especialize vehicle .they transpoted them to a recycling centre for sorting . following this they comoresing into a square blocks .
in next stage the compresing metterial go for crushing .while that ceushed mettarial go for washing in tank . following this washed metterial go throw a machine to producing a plastic pellets . from there heating pallets are formed to form a raw meterial . consequently raw meterial are ready to formed . thereafter using raw meterial the product are ready for use . alloying the intire cycle to be repated .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
You cover the main stages and give a relevant overview, noting that the process has nine stages and is cyclical, beginning with used bottles and ending with products that can be recycled again. The sequence from collection and sorting through compression, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating is also broadly accurate. However, some stages are described unclearly or incompletely: for example, “raw meterial are ready to formed” does not explain that the heated pellets become raw material, and the end products are not identified, although the diagram shows items such as containers, clothing and bags. To strengthen the response, report the transformation at each stage precisely and include a few examples of the final products.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview and a chronological account of the process. Sequencing expressions such as “initially,” “following this,” “in next stage” and “thereafter” help the reader follow the general order. However, the progression becomes difficult to track in places because some links are mechanical or unclear. For instance, “while that ceushed mettarial go for washing” does not clearly connect crushing to washing, and the final sentence about “alloying the intire cycle” obscures how the loop returns to the start. Use clear paragraphing and more precise links between stages, and make the final connection explicit: new products can be used and then placed in recycling bins.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You attempt vocabulary suited to a process description, including “recycling centre,” “sorting,” “crushing,” “washing” and “raw material.” These choices show awareness of the diagram’s stages. However, spelling errors and inaccurate word forms are frequent enough to make some phrases difficult to understand, as in “disposle,” “comoresing,” “mettarial” and “repatdly.” Some expressions are also imprecise: “especialize vehicle” and “products are ready for use” do not describe the stages naturally. Build accuracy by learning the spelling and collocations of key process terms, then use them consistently. For example, describe bottles as being “compressed into blocks” and pellets as being “heated to produce raw material.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You use both simple statements and some longer structures, including the overview sentence beginning “it is a cyclical process as…” and the sequence of stages. Nevertheless, grammatical control is uneven, and errors in verb forms, agreement, articles and sentence construction sometimes make relationships unclear. Examples include “the process consist,” “they transpoted them,” “they comoresing into a square blocks” and “the product are ready for use.” Aim to form complete passive clauses consistently, since this process is best described in the passive: “The bottles are transported to a recycling centre,” followed by “They are compressed into blocks.” Check subject–verb agreement, articles and plural forms, and punctuate sentence boundaries carefully.
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