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 describes the procedure for recycling plastic bottles.

Overall, the process consist of nine main stages from recycling garbadge to making some products and other plastic accessories.

In the first step ,people put the bottles in dustbin and after that the truck collects the bottles in moving Conveyor belt. In the next step, workers sorting the recycling material and store into the boxes. Compresser press the bottles in mutliple blocks to each one. In fifth step moving crusher crushes the blocks into small pieces these small pieces entered in washing tank. In the new step a pellet making machine produce small particles of plastic pellets. Heating the pellets until it is converted into raw material. Raw material is ready for use to produce things in step 8. In the final and last step bottles,clothes,pencils,boxes, and different accessories are produced.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the diagram as a recycling process and give a basic overview, noting that it begins with discarded bottles and ends with products. Several central stages are also included, such as sorting, compressing, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating. However, the account is incomplete and sometimes unclear: the sorting decision (accepted bottles versus rejected items) is not explained, and the final products are described only generally. The sequence is also confused when you say raw material is used “in step 8”; the diagram shows raw material at stage 8 and end products at stage 9. The response is 10 words below the required minimum, which limits the detail available. To improve, cover the full cycle accurately and add a little more explanation of its key stages.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows the broad order of the process, and the opening overview helps the reader understand the topic. Sequencing phrases such as “In the first step,” “In the next step,” and “In the final and last step” provide some guidance. However, the description is presented as one long paragraph after the overview, so the stages are not grouped clearly. Some links between actions are abrupt, particularly “Heating the pellets until it is converted into raw material” and “Raw material is ready for use to produce things in step 8.” The repeated use of “step” and “In the” also makes cohesion mechanical. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and process details, and connect related stages with clearer references such as “Once washed” and “The resulting pellets.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use several relevant process terms, including “conveyor belt,” “crusher,” “washing tank,” “pellets,” and “raw material,” which help communicate the main stages. However, the range is limited and some word choices or forms are inaccurate, making parts of the process difficult to picture. For example, “store into the boxes” is not a natural description of sorting, while “multiple blocks to each one” is unclear. “Dustbin” is less precise than a recycling bin, and “accessories” does not accurately summarise the varied end products shown. Spelling errors such as “garbadge,” “mutliple,” and “Compresser” are noticeable. Aim for precise process vocabulary and check spelling; terms such as “sort,” “compress,” and “manufacture” can describe the stages more clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response communicates the general sequence using mostly simple clauses, with a few attempts to link actions, as in “these small pieces entered in washing tank.” However, the range of sentence structures is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to make some relationships unclear. For example, “the process consist” has incorrect subject–verb agreement, while “workers sorting” lacks a finite verb. In “Heating the pellets until it is converted,” the sentence is a fragment and the pronoun does not agree with “pellets.” Articles and sentence boundaries are also inconsistent, as in “in dustbin” and the run-on sequence beginning “In the first step.” Practise complete sentences with accurate tense and agreement, and use punctuation to separate each stage.

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