Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-25

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 illustrates the process of recycling plastic bottles.

Overall, it is clear that there were significant difference in the main feature shown in the given information with some aspects, being more prominent than the others.

The diagram consists of several stages. First step house hold garbage and some bottles put in dust bin and then next step government worker put the garbage in truck machine. Third step plastic bottles are went in recycling center then they sorting the the bottles. After the crush bottles are compressed into blocks and next step crushing bottles powder are passed through the machine.

After powder are washed in water and next step machine produce plastic pellets. Seventh step machine produce raw material because due to heat. Eight step the powder produce raw material. Finally, the last steps raw material producing many products such as pencils, t-shirt

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the topic and report several relevant stages, including sorting, compressing, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating. However, the overview is not a useful summary of the process: “significant difference” is unsupported, and it does not explain that the stages form a cycle ending in new products that can be recycled again. Some details are inaccurate or unclear: the diagram shows bottles placed in a recycling bin, not household garbage, and sorting separates acceptable bottles from rejected items. You also omit the collection truck’s role and the final return arrow, and the response stops before fully describing the end products. The response is 143 words, below the required 150. Add a concise, accurate overview and complete the final stages.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic overall sequence, moving from disposal through processing to products, and the paragraph break separates the overview from the stage description. Sequencing expressions such as “First,” “Third step,” “After” and “Finally” help the reader follow the intended order. However, progression is weakened by repetitive step-by-step phrasing and unclear links, particularly “After the crush bottles are compressed into blocks” and “After powder are washed in water.” The overview does not guide the reader, and the final sentence is incomplete, leaving the process without a clear ending. Organise the stages into connected groups and use precise transitions to show how each material changes and how the cycle returns to the beginning.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “recycling center,” “compressed into blocks,” “plastic pellets” and “raw material,” so the main subject is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or awkward, such as “dust bin,” “truck machine,” “bottles powder” and “machine produce.” Repetition of “step,” “bottles” and “produce” also makes the account less precise. Use the diagram’s process terms consistently: for example, describe bottles being collected by a truck, sorted, crushed into pieces, washed, and processed into pellets. More accurate verbs and collocations would make the stages easier to understand and help distinguish the material at each point.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response communicates a basic sequence, and some short clauses are understandable, such as “The diagram illustrates the process of recycling plastic bottles.” However, grammatical control is weak across much of the description, and errors sometimes obscure relationships between stages. Examples include “there were significant difference,” “some bottles put in dust bin,” “they sorting the the bottles,” and “After powder are washed.” These show problems with agreement, articles, passive forms and verb forms. Sentence structures are mostly simple or incomplete, with limited accurate use of complex clauses. Practise forming clear passive sentences for process descriptions, such as “The bottles are sorted” and “The pellets are heated to form raw material,” and check subject–verb agreement and sentence completion.

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