Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-27

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 illustrates the recycling process of plastic bottles.

Overall, the process is done significantly step by step .By recycling plastic bottles new products are made and which help to reduce pollution.

According to the diagram, The recycle process start with collecting plastic bottles from dustbin. Then a truck come across the dustbin to carry on it to recycling centre whereas plastic bottles are sorting by human and selecting bottles and take put it into 2 different boxes.Then the next step is compressing plastic bottles into blocks and crash properly by a crushing machine ,and put them into water to wash plastic pellets .

In contrast,after washing the pellets producing it into a machine where pellets are heated properly and heating pellets to form raw material. However, after heating pellets , now it is convert into raw material. By raw material, many recycling products : plastic bottles, plastic box, pencil others products are made.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the diagram as a recycling process and include several key stages, from collection and sorting through compression, crushing, washing and the production of new items. The overview also recognises that recycling leads to new products. However, some important details are unclear or inaccurate: the bottles are sorted into accepted and rejected groups, not simply placed in two boxes, and the account does not clearly explain that the process forms a loop, with end products returning to the recycling bin. The final products are only partly represented by “plastic bottles, plastic box, pencil”; the diagram also shows items such as clothing and a carrier bag. A more precise overview and fuller coverage of the cycle would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic overall structure: an introduction and overview are followed by descriptions of the early and later stages. The sequence is generally understandable, and phrases such as “Then” and “after washing” help guide the reader through the process. However, progression becomes less clear in places because several stages are crowded into long sentences, particularly the description of sorting, compressing, crushing and washing. The paragraph beginning “In contrast” does not present a contrast, and repeated transitions such as “after” and “However” do not always show the relationship between stages accurately. Use separate sentences for each group of stages and connect them with precise sequencing language to create a clearer progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “recycling centre,” “compressing,” “crushing machine,” “pellets” and “raw material,” which helps communicate the main subject. There is also some attempt to vary wording, for example “collecting” and “heating.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “a truck come across the dustbin,” “crash properly,” and “many recycling products.” “Dustbin” is less suitable here than “recycling bin,” while “crash” should be replaced with a verb meaning to break material into smaller pieces. Aim for precise process verbs and natural combinations, such as “collects the bottles,” “crushes them into fragments,” and “manufactures a range of products.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and more extended sentence forms, but grammatical control is inconsistent, and errors frequently affect clarity. For example, “The recycle process start” has an incorrect noun form and verb agreement; “a truck come” also needs a third-person singular verb. Passive forms are often needed for this process, but “plastic bottles are sorting by human” is not correctly formed. There are also faulty sentence constructions, as in “By recycling plastic bottles new products are made and which help to reduce pollution,” and “after washing the pellets producing it into a machine.” Capitalisation and punctuation are uneven, including unnecessary capitals after commas and spaces before full stops. Practise accurate present-simple and passive forms, and divide complex ideas into complete sentences.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.