Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-29

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 demostrates the procedure of recycling plastic bottles. The recycling process has 9 steps from throwing into the bin as a waste and after the whole procedure, produced new bottles and products.

overall the recycling process has 9 stages including throwing bottles, sotting, compressing into blocks, crushing and follow more steps for make useful products.

In the first step, bottles and other plastic material through into the bin after that the goverment vehicals picked up these bottles and delivered in a recycling center for sorting. Furthermore, these bottles compressing into the blocks and than crush through a technology or machine for washing and cleaning the bottles.

Moreover, after crushing the bottles produce plastic pellets then heat pellets to form raw material after heating pettles raw material ready and then produce new plastic bottles and other products like t shirt, pencil and plastic box.

To sum up plastic bottles are recycled by follow complete procedure for recycling.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main stages in the correct general order, from putting bottles in a bin and collection through sorting, compression, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating. You also identify the overall purpose: recycled material is used to make new products, and examples such as a T-shirt and pencils are shown in the diagram. However, the overview is repetitive and does not clearly explain the closed-loop nature of the process, including how end products lead back to the start. Some details are also imprecise: the diagram shows accepted bottles being sorted from rejected items, and the final products include several items beyond bottles. A clearer overview and more precise reporting of these features would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable progression through the process, and paragraphing separates the opening, stages and conclusion. Sequencing expressions such as “In the first step,” “after that” and “Moreover” help the reader follow the stages. However, the overview is repeated in the final sentence rather than adding a useful concluding feature, and several links are mechanical or unclear. For example, “after heating pettles raw material ready and then produce” compresses several stages without clear sentence boundaries. Organise the body into a more controlled sequence, using one sentence for each connected group of stages and clearer references to the material as it changes form.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “compressing,” “crush,” “pellets,” “raw material” and “recycling center,” so the reader can understand the main stages. There is some repetition of “bottles,” “process” and “produce,” and several word-choice, spelling or collocation problems reduce precision. Examples include “sotting” for sorting, “pettles” for pellets, and “technology or machine,” which is vague compared with the diagram’s machinery. “Government vehicles” is also an unnecessary and unsupported description of the collection truck. Aim for accurate process terms and vary repeated verbs with suitable alternatives such as “transport,” “convert” and “manufacture.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple sentences and longer sequences, and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, control of verb forms and sentence construction is inconsistent. For example, “these bottles compressing into the blocks and than crush” lacks a finite verb and does not maintain a clear passive structure; “after the whole procedure, produced new bottles” also has no clear subject. The final sentence, “plastic bottles are recycled by follow complete procedure,” has an incorrect verb pattern. Use passive forms consistently for this process, such as “the bottles are compressed” and “the pellets are heated,” and check that each sentence has a subject and a correctly formed verb. Punctuation would also help separate the long sequences of stages.

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