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 diagram describes the process of recycling of plastic bottles starting from collecting the plastic bottles from dustbin and producing the new products in the end.

The diagram given above shows the recycling process of plastic materials like plastic bottles into new This process is started with collecting the plastic bottles manually from the dustbins and then transporting them towards the place where they will be recycled.After getting there, Initially they are highly compressed by bolcks.After compression,the material is sent towards its crushing and then After washing the material,it is sent to a machine for making it plastic pellets and then heated to make it raw and useful material.In the end,we have a raw material made from the recycling of plastic bottles and we can make any type of new plastic products from this raw material.This process continues also in a cycle form and we can also recycle the new products after tgey are wasted.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the overall process as recycling plastic bottles into new products and mention several accurate stages, including collection, compression, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating. You also recognise that the process forms a cycle. However, the account is only partly complete: it does not clearly describe sorting at the recycling centre, the production of raw material as a distinct stage, or the examples of end products shown. The opening also repeats the same general idea rather than giving a concise overview of the main stages. To strengthen the response, report the sequence more precisely and include the sorting decision and the return loop from end products to the recycling bin.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows the broad order of the process, and sequencing expressions such as “then,” “After compression” and “In the end” help the reader follow the stages. The final reference to the cycle also gives the account a sense of completion. However, the ideas are crowded into one long paragraph, while the opening repeats the process description. Several transitions are awkward or inconsistently punctuated, for example “recycled.After getting there, Initially” and “compression,the material.” This makes progression less smooth and cohesion somewhat mechanical. Use a separate overview and a clearly organised process paragraph, with consistent punctuation and linking phrases that show each stage without repeating the same information.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “compressed,” “crushing,” “washing,” “pellets” and “raw material,” so the reader can understand the main stages. The range is nevertheless limited and some choices are inaccurate or imprecise: “dustbin” is less suitable than “recycling bin” here, “highly compressed” does not match the diagram’s wording as closely as “compressed into blocks,” and “make it raw and useful material” is an awkward description of the heating stage. There are also spelling errors such as “bolcks” and “tgey.” Aim for precise process collocations and check spelling carefully. For example, describe bottles as being sorted, compressed into blocks, crushed, and processed into pellets.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to connect stages using longer sentences and subordinate clauses, as in “After getting there …” and “after the new products are wasted.” However, the range is limited, and complex sentences are often faulty or difficult to read. Examples include “The diagram describes the process of recycling of plastic bottles,” where the noun pattern is awkward, and “This process is started with collecting,” which uses an unsuitable passive construction. Articles and sentence boundaries are also inconsistent, while missing spaces after full stops and commas affect punctuation. Practise writing shorter, controlled sentences first, then combine stages with accurate clauses—for example, “After sorting, the bottles are compressed into blocks and crushed.”

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