Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-26

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 4.5)

The diagram clearly illustrates the process for recycling plastic bottles .

Overall recycling process has 9 stages before producing final products. Picking it from recycle bin to end producing and products. People through their un usual plastics bottles in recycling box collecter, then its being loaded in cargo for to place in recycling center where person sorting it by their hand and through out damageed bottles. In fourth stage its go for compressing into blocks.Mechanically crushing process begin then it dip in water for impurities to create palletes.

Mean while palletes again go through machine for

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the topic and give a partial account of the early stages, including collection, sorting, compressing, crushing and washing. However, the response addresses the process only minimally: it stops at “pallets again go through machine for” and does not explain heating, the production of raw material, or the range of end products, nor does it provide a complete overview of the cycle. The overview claim that there are nine stages is useful, but “before producing final products” does not capture the loop back to the recycling bin. The response is also below the required 150 words, which leaves important stages and details unreported. To improve, describe the full sequence and explicitly note that the finished products can re-enter the cycle.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic chronological order in the stages you mention, and phrases such as “Overall” and “In fourth stage” help signal progression. However, the response ends abruptly mid-sentence, so the sequence has no conclusion and the later stages are absent. The opening overview is followed immediately by a long, crowded sentence that combines collection, transport and sorting, making the relationships between steps difficult to follow. “Meanwhile” introduces another stage but does not connect it clearly to what came before. Use separate sentences or paragraphs for the collection/sorting stages and the processing/product stages, and use clear links such as “Next,” “After washing,” and “Finally” to guide the reader through the complete cycle.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “recycling centre,” “sorting,” “compressing,” “crushing” and “impurities,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several inaccurate or unclear choices make the description harder to understand, such as “cargo” for the collection truck, “through out damageed bottles,” and “palletes” for pellets. “End producing and products” is also an unclear phrase. Aim for precise labels from the diagram and natural collocations: for example, say that a truck transports the bottles, unsuitable bottles are removed, and the plastic is washed before being made into pellets. Check spelling carefully, especially for key process terms, as repeated errors reduce clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts both an overview and a sequence of process steps, but sentence structures are mostly simple or incomplete, and frequent grammatical errors sometimes obscure the intended meaning. For example, “Overall recycling process has 9 stages” is missing an article, while “People through their un usual plastics bottles” does not form a clear grammatical clause. Verb forms and agreement are also problematic in “then its being loaded” and “in fourth stage its go.” The final phrase, “palletes again go through machine for,” is unfinished. Practise complete passive constructions suited to process descriptions, such as “The bottles are collected and transported to a recycling centre,” and check articles, verb forms and sentence boundaries before finishing.

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