Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

This diagram explain us the procedure of recycling the plastic bottles.The bottles which we buy from the shop and then we use it and then we through that bottle in a dustins.These bottles people collecting from everywhere and then they put them in a car and then drop them at a recycling centre for sorting bottles.The peoples which work there can be converted these bottles into pieces and make them into a compressing blocks and then put in a machine which crush all of them and then all material wash properly for neatness and then the bottles material can be put into machine for recycling it and for producing plastic pellets the people put the crush material to the upper of the machine and then machine through it outward from lower side after heating pellets to form raw material.Then they pack the raw materials into a shopper to send to the factory's which then made the products from them

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main subject and describe several stages in broadly correct order, including collection, sorting, compressing, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating. However, the response only partially covers the diagram: it gives no clear overview of the complete cycle and omits the final production of end products and the return arrow to bottle disposal. Some details are also unclear or inaccurate, such as saying workers “can be converted these bottles” and describing the raw material as packed “into a shopper.” To strengthen the report, state the overall circular nature of the process, then accurately summarise its main stages, including the range of products made from the recycled material.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The stages are generally presented in the order shown, so a reader can follow the broad movement from disposal to processing. However, the response is written as one long sequence, with almost no sentence boundaries or paragraphing. Repeated links such as “and then” carry nearly every step, making the progression mechanical and sometimes difficult to follow. References such as “them,” “it,” and “all material” are not always clear. Organise the report into an introduction and overview, followed by stages grouped into logical phases. Use a wider range of accurate sequencing expressions and full stops to make the relationships between steps clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “recycling centre,” “sorting,” “compressing blocks,” “crush,” “plastic pellets,” and “raw material.” This gives the reader a basic sense of the procedure. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate or informal, including “dustins,” “car,” “shopper,” and “through it outward.” These choices sometimes obscure the intended meaning. Use precise terms from the diagram, such as “recycling bin,” “collection truck,” “conveyor belt,” and “end products,” and choose process verbs carefully—for example, bottles are “crushed” and the material is “washed.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to connect several stages in longer sentences, but the structures are often faulty, and there is little accurate sentence variety. Errors in verb forms and agreement include “This diagram explain” and “people collecting”; the passive construction “can be converted these bottles” is also incomplete. Articles, plurals and sentence boundaries are frequently mishandled, as in “a compressing blocks” and the run-on sequence beginning “The bottles which we buy.” These errors make parts of the process difficult to interpret. Practise forming clear passive sentences for process descriptions, such as “The bottles are collected and taken to a recycling centre,” and separate each main stage with accurate punctuation.

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