Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-24

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 diagram shows the process of recycling plastic water bottles.

Firstly,the men is throwing the waste into the garbage bin then it is loaded into the garbage truck and taken to the recycle centre there they sort out the plastic bottle away from the garbage. After that the plastic bottle are being compressed into blocks.Next process is crushing after crushing it is being washed and then producing plastic pellets and then pellets are heated to form raw material after heating raw material is formed.Through raw material many products are being processed.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the main subject and report several central stages, including collection, sorting, compressing, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating. However, the response only partially fulfils the task: it gives no clear overview of the complete cycle and does not explain that the process returns to bottle production, completing a loop. The final statement, “Through raw material many products are being processed,” is too general and omits the examples shown, such as containers, clothing and pencils. Some details are also inaccurate or unclear, including “the men” and “garbage,” which do not describe the diagram precisely. The response is below the required 150 words, so there is not enough development to summarise the stages and key features adequately. Add a concise overview and describe the cycle’s beginning and end.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The stages are presented in a broadly sensible order, and sequencing expressions such as “Firstly,” “After that,” and “after crushing” help the reader follow the process. However, the response is a single, compressed paragraph, with little distinction between the opening, overview and stage-by-stage description. Several stages are joined into a long chain, for example, “and then producing plastic pellets and then pellets are heated,” which makes the progression feel mechanical and occasionally unclear. The reference in “after heating raw material is formed” also repeats the previous point rather than moving the account forward. Organise the response into paragraphs and use clearer links to group collection and sorting, processing, and the final products and return loop.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “compressed,” “crushing,” “washed,” “pellets” and “raw material,” which allows the reader to recognise the main stages. However, the range is limited and several choices are imprecise or repetitive. “Garbage bin,” “garbage truck” and “garbage” are not the most suitable terms for the recycling process; “recycling bin,” “collection truck” and “unsuitable items” would be more accurate. “Many products are being processed” is vague, and “plastic water bottles” adds a detail not established by the diagram. Try to use precise verbs such as “sort,” “compress,” “shred” and “manufacture,” and name a few end products shown. This would make the description more specific and less repetitive.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts to connect stages in longer sentences, but the grammatical range is limited and errors occur frequently. For example, “the men is throwing” has incorrect subject–verb agreement, while “the plastic bottle are being compressed” has a plural agreement error. The sentence beginning “Firstly” also runs several clauses together without adequate punctuation, and “there they sort out” has an unclear clause boundary. Passive forms are appropriate for describing a process, but they are not controlled consistently: “it is loaded” is followed by “they sort,” then “it is being washed.” Practise accurate plural forms and consistent passive constructions, and separate each major stage into complete sentences. Correct punctuation and sentence boundaries would make the sequence easier to understand.

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