Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-28

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 procedure for the reused plastic bottles to manufactured different items.

Overall, the process begins with the collection of used plastic bottles and ends with the manufacturing of useful products.

Looking at the details, there are total nine steps, in the frist step individuals collected the used plastic bottles to transport to recycling centre for sorting purpose where the bottles compressed into blocks and then crushed them by passing these bottles into a machine consists of two wheels then washed it out and discard the impurities.

Subsequently, the production of plastic pellets comes out which leads to the next step of heating these pellets to produce raw material. By following this, in the next step it resulting into a raw material . In the final step, this raw material can be used for the manufacturing of various items such as shirts , box , pencils, bottles and shopping bags and these manufactured products can also be recycled again.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the process as a cycle and give a relevant overview: it starts with used bottles and ends with products that can be recycled again. You also report the main stages, including sorting, compressing, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating. However, some details are unclear or not fully accurate. The opening says bottles are collected, but does not clearly describe the person placing them in a recycling bin or the collection truck taking them to the centre. The sorting stage’s separation of acceptable and rejected bottles is omitted, while “discard the impurities” is not shown in the diagram. The final products are broadly represented, though “box” is less precise than the depicted food containers. Covering these details more accurately would make the account more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph describing the stages in sequence. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Subsequently,” and “In the final step” help the reader follow the process. The sequence is generally logical, but some connections are awkward or unclear. For example, “the production of plastic pellets comes out which leads to the next step” does not clearly show how the stages relate, and “By following this, in the next step it resulting into a raw material” is difficult to follow. The long details paragraph also combines several stages in one sentence. Use clearer sentence boundaries and refer directly to each stage to make progression smoother and cohesion less mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “sorting,” “compressed into blocks,” “crushed,” “plastic pellets,” and “raw material,” which allows the reader to understand the main stages. There is also some variety in how you describe the products and recycling cycle. However, several word choices and collocations are unnatural or imprecise, such as “procedure for the reused plastic bottles to manufactured different items,” “crushed them,” and “washed it out.” “Comes out” does not accurately describe the production of pellets, and “box” is less specific than the diagram’s food containers. Spelling errors such as “frist” and inconsistent spacing around punctuation also reduce control. Aim for standard process collocations and precise nouns rather than forcing less natural phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, including a sequence of stages joined with “where,” “then,” and “which.” The overview is understandable, and the reader can generally recover the intended order. However, control of sentence structure and verb forms is inconsistent. For example, “there are total nine steps” needs an article, while “individuals collected the used plastic bottles to transport” has an unclear subject and verb relationship. The clause “By following this, in the next step it resulting into a raw material” contains a faulty verb form and construction. There are also problems with agreement and reference in “crushed them … then washed it out.” Use a consistent present passive for process descriptions, and check each sentence for a clear subject and correctly formed verb.

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