Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The figure illlustrates the process in which plastic bottles are recycle.There are 9 steps thta have been shown in the figure.

Overall, the process take place in the industry and process is done by the help of both man and machines.

Plastic bottles are picked from the bin. They were transfered to the recycling centre where different sizes of bottles are sorted that need to be recycled.Bottled were compressed into the blocks.

The block is passed throgh the machine from the machine the bottles are crushed.These crushed bottle are washed.After that the crushed bottled go into machine again for making plastic pellets by heating the pallets so raw material can be made.

Now this raw material is used for making many products which are essential for human like clothes,stationary items and boxes or bottles.

This shows that the process is quite difficult from picking the bottles to sorting and the makin raw material requires lot of time and effort.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as having nine steps and describe several central stages, including collection, sorting, compression, crushing, washing, pellet production and the creation of new products. This gives the reader a broadly accurate account of the recycling cycle. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: the diagram shows bottles sorted into recyclable and rejected groups, not by size, and it is the pellets that are heated to form raw material. The overview that the process takes place “in the industry” and requires “lot of time and effort” is not clearly supported by the diagram. To strengthen the response, give a concise overview of the complete cycle, including that end products can return to the recycling bin, and report the stages more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response follows the general order of the diagram, and sequencing phrases such as “After that” and “Now” help the reader follow the stages. The opening and overview are separated from the process description, which provides some overall organisation. However, the process is presented in a single dense paragraph, and several transitions are abrupt: for example, “The block is passed through the machine from the machine the bottles are crushed” makes the relationship between compression and crushing difficult to follow. The final comment about time and effort also interrupts the process sequence rather than concluding the cycle. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and stages, and connect each stage clearly with accurate references such as “the compressed blocks” and “these pellets.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “recycling centre,” “compressed,” “crushed,” “washed,” “pellets” and “raw material,” so the main subject is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and some word choices or collocations are inaccurate, such as “bottles are recycle,” “different sizes of bottles are sorted,” and “making plastic pellets by heating the pallets.” The repeated use of “machine” and “bottles” also makes the description less precise. There are noticeable spelling errors, including “illlustrates,” “thta,” “transfered” and “stationary.” Aim to use accurate process terms consistently, distinguish bottles from pellets, and check spelling. For example, “recyclable bottles” and “manufacture” would be more precise in this context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, and the sequence is mostly understandable. However, errors occur frequently in verb forms, agreement, articles and sentence construction. For example, “the process take place” needs subject–verb agreement, while “plastic bottles are recycle” uses an incorrect passive form. The sentence beginning “The block is passed through the machine” then repeats “from the machine” without a clear grammatical connection. There are also missing articles and punctuation, as in “requires lot of time and effort” and the run-on spacing around “recycled.Bottled.” Practise accurate passive constructions for process descriptions, such as “the bottles are sorted” and “the pellets are heated,” and use full stops to separate complete ideas.

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