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 is visualizing the steps for reusing plastic bottle.The diagram is ilustrates through the pictures.

Overall this whole process is showing how they collect those plastic and transform this into raw materials and use to make products.

First they collect every single piece of plastic from the bin and transform into the big lorry which is use for collect this,then they bring those plastic to the recycling contre where they sorting every piece of plastic.Collecting the bottles and sorting them are the same thing.Making blocks by using compressing method is one of the steps,after this next is crushing the blocks and wash into the water buckets.

Final and last few important steps are pour those plastic pallets into the producing machine and heat them to form into raw materials.You can use it into various kind of works also into making new products. From raw materials they made different kind of products like bottles,boxes,pencils,and also cloths.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main subject and give a broad overview: bottles are collected, processed into raw material, and used to make new products. You also report several central stages, including sorting, compressing, crushing, washing, pellet production, and heating. However, the account is only partly complete and some details are unclear or inaccurate. For example, bottles are not transformed into a lorry; the truck collects and transports them. The sorting stage separates suitable bottles from rejected items, rather than simply sorting “every piece.” The final products are examples, but the response omits the return arrow that completes the cycle. Describe the stages in order and clarify the recycling loop to make the process more fully covered.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence, moving from collection through processing to the production of new goods, and words such as “First,” “after this,” and “Final” help signal stages. The overall progression is nevertheless uneven: the opening repeats the idea that the diagram shows the process, and “Collecting the bottles and sorting them are the same thing” interrupts the sequence rather than explaining a stage. Several stages are crowded into long sentences with limited punctuation, making relationships between actions harder to follow. Organise the description into a short introduction and overview followed by clearly ordered process stages. Use linking expressions to show sequence and cause without repeating the same transition or combining too many steps in one sentence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “recycling centre,” “compressing,” “crushing,” “raw materials,” and “products,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, which sometimes makes the meaning difficult to follow. “Transform into the big lorry” confuses the vehicle with the bottles being transported, while “plastic pallets” appears to mean plastic pellets. Phrases such as “water buckets,” “various kind of works,” and “cloths” are not precise descriptions of the diagram. Spelling errors such as “ilustrates” and “contre” also reduce accuracy. Build a more precise process vocabulary and check word forms and spelling before finishing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, and the reader can usually follow the broad process. However, errors are frequent, and attempts to combine several stages often produce faulty sentence structures. For example, “The diagram is visualizing the steps” and “The diagram is ilustrates” use incorrect verb forms; “they sorting every piece” lacks an auxiliary, and “which is use for collect this” has errors in agreement and verb pattern. Articles, plurals, and sentence boundaries are also inconsistent, as in “plastic bottle” and the long sentence beginning “First they collect.” Practise accurate present-simple descriptions of processes, such as “The bottles are collected and taken to a recycling centre,” and divide complex sequences into shorter, correctly punctuated sentences.

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