Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

This is how plastic bottles are recycled from homes to industries then to byproducts .It starts when people buys things like bottles,bags,shoppers, pencils, and t-shirts containing plastic . After using all the plastic materials mostly plastic bottles, people throw them in wastse . They didn't see if they can recycle anything. The sewers took the garbage from garbage bins and take it into the recycling centre. After this they started ,sorting it in a proper way. When this process is done they compressed the plastic bottles into a block then take it to the crushing machine, putting it in .So, it can produce plastic pellets. These plastic pellets are then heated and converted into raw material. By using this raw material , they produce end products like shirts,more bottles,etc. As this process continues, these end products are delivered in store to sell. People again uses them and this process is continued.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You describe the main stages from disposal through sorting, compression, crushing, pellet production and heating, and you recognise that the process loops back to consumers. However, some details do not match the diagram: people put bottles in a recycling bin, not general waste, and the collection is by a recycling truck rather than “sewers.” The sorting stage separates suitable bottles from rejected items, a key feature that is omitted. The overview is also not clearly separated from the stage-by-stage account, and several additions—such as buying bags and pencils at the start and delivery to stores—are not shown. To strengthen the response, report the diagram’s stages precisely and give a concise overview of its circular nature and the production of new goods.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The stages are presented in a broadly chronological order, and linking phrases such as “After this,” “When this process is done,” and “These plastic pellets are then heated” help the reader follow the sequence. However, the response is one continuous paragraph, so the overview and process details are not clearly organised. Some links are awkward or repetitive, including “After this they started” and “As this process continues,” while the final sentences repeat the idea that the cycle continues. Use a short opening overview followed by a clearly sequenced description, and connect each stage with precise references such as “the sorted bottles” or “the resulting pellets.” This would make progression clearer and reduce repetition.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “recycling centre,” “compressed,” “crushing machine,” “plastic pellets,” and “raw material,” which allows the reader to understand the general sequence. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for this diagram. “Sewers” misidentifies the collection vehicle, “wastse” is misspelled, and “byproducts” does not accurately describe the new products made from recycled material. Phrases such as “putting it in” and “in a proper way” are vague, and “shirts” is less precise than the diagram’s “T-shirt.” Aim for specific process terms and accurate collocations, such as “collected by truck,” “sorted for recycling,” and “manufactured into new products.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts to connect ideas with subordinate clauses and time expressions, for example, “After using all the plastic materials” and “When this process is done.” However, control is inconsistent, and errors occur in basic sentence patterns as well as longer constructions. Examples include “people buys” and “People again uses,” where plural subjects require plural verbs, and “they compressed” and “they started” shift into the past despite describing a general process. The sentence beginning “When this process is done they compressed…” also has unclear structure, while punctuation spacing is inconsistent. Use the present simple consistently for process descriptions, check subject–verb agreement, and divide long or incomplete constructions into clear sentences.

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