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 illustrates the linear process for recycling plastic bottles.

Overall, the process involves nine sequential stages, beginning with the collection of used bottles from trash and ending with the manufacturing of raw material. Which is used for production of other finished goods such as clothes, stationary products, disposable bags and crockery. In the complete process all stages are depend on each other.

In the first stage, workers collect the used bottles from litter. Then bottles are delivered to recycling centre then these bottles are sorting and compressing in the form of blocks. Next, the blocks are crushed by a crush machine. After that the crushed blocks are washed and transformed into plastic pellets. Plastic pellets are converted into raw material at the high temperature. Now, the raw material is ready for using in production of other finished goods which are offering in the market for sale.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process and give a broad sequence from collection through sorting, compressing, crushing, washing and pellet production. However, the overview misstates the diagram: it is a circular process, not “linear,” and it ends with end products that feed back into the recycling cycle, rather than ending with raw material. The response also omits the sorting of unsuitable bottles, the production of end products, and the return arrow to the first stage. The description is therefore only partial, and several key features are underdeveloped. The response is three words below the required minimum, which further limits the coverage. Include an accurate overview of the loop and describe its final stages to address the task more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall order, and sequencing phrases such as “In the first stage,” “Next,” and “After that” help the reader follow the stages described. The opening overview also gives the response a clear starting point. However, the paragraph beginning “Overall” breaks into a sentence fragment: “Which is used for production…” The final sentence then repeats the idea of producing finished goods without explaining how the process loops back. Some links are mechanical, and “then” is repeated in the early sequence. Use separate, purposeful paragraphs for the overview and process details, and connect the final products back to the first stage to make the progression complete and clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “recycling centre,” “compressing,” “crushed,” “washed,” and “plastic pellets,” so the main stages are generally understandable. There is some variety in how you describe transformation, but several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or imprecise: bottles are “delivered” rather than simply collected and transported, and “a crush machine” is not a natural term. “Stationary products” is also the wrong word for items such as pencils; use “stationery.” The phrase “finished goods which are offering in the market” is awkward and unclear. Aim for precise process language and check spelling and collocations, especially when naming the products shown in the diagram.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, and most of the process can be understood. However, some errors in sentence structure and verb forms reduce accuracy. “Which is used for production…” is a fragment because it has no independent clause, while “all stages are depend on each other” incorrectly combines “are” with the base verb. In “these bottles are sorting,” the passive form should be used, and “which are offering” also has an incorrect verb form. Articles and prepositions need attention in phrases such as “at the high temperature” and “ready for using.” Practise forming passive sentences consistently, as they are especially useful for describing a process, and punctuate the overview so it forms complete sentences.

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