Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-01

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 process of recycling plastic bottles and producing new products from recycled materials.

Overall, this process consists of nine stages from throwing a plastic bottles in bins to producing new products and materials from it.

Firstly, in first stage garbage like plasticbottles, bags etc is thrown into a bin, than in next step garbage truck comes and pick up that garbage, moreover recylcling center picks which items from the garbage is useful to recycle and throw the other waste away. In the forth step all the useful material is compressed into a block form.

In addition crushing of that block is happened by crusher, than all that crushed material is washed to remove all the dust and impure particles from it. In the 6th step plastic pallets are produced from a machine, along with heating and melting of those plastic pallets has happened to form them inro a raw material. Subsequently raw material is packed and made sure that it is useable now. In conclusion end products are made from that raw material like. shirts, pencil and more plastic bottles, however this whole process is reversed again by these new products once they are again thrown away.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the diagram as a recycling process and give a clear overall summary of its nine stages, including the return of products to the start of the cycle. Most key stages are reported in sequence: collection, sorting, compression, crushing, washing, pellet production, heating and the creation of end products. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear. The diagram shows plastic bottles being placed in a recycling bin, not assorted “garbage” such as bags, and the sorting stage separates recyclable from non-recyclable items rather than simply deciding which material is useful. The raw material is shown on a pallet, but the response adds that it is packed and checked for usability. Describe the pictured stages more precisely and include examples such as food containers and a carrier bag.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by the stages in sequence, with the later stages placed in a separate paragraph. Sequencing expressions such as “Firstly,” “In addition,” and “Subsequently” help the reader follow the process. However, some linking is mechanical or imprecise, and long sentences combine several stages without clear boundaries. For example, the sentence beginning “In the 6th step” moves from pellet production to heating, while “along with” does not clearly express the relationship between them. The final sentence also joins the examples of products to the cycle’s return in a confusing way. Use clearer sentence breaks and refer explicitly to each stage or material to make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “compressed,” “crusher,” “washed,” “raw material,” and “end products,” which allows the main sequence to be understood. There is also some variety in how you describe the stages. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “plastic pallets” for pellets, “dust and impure particles,” and “the process is reversed again.” Spelling errors, including “recylcling,” “inro,” and “plasticbottles,” also reduce precision. Aim for accurate terms from the diagram and natural process language, such as “plastic pellets are produced,” “impurities are removed,” and “the cycle begins again.” Proofreading spelling and choosing precise nouns would make the description more fluent and reliable.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, errors in sentence structure, verb forms, agreement, articles and punctuation are frequent enough to make some passages awkward. Examples include “a plastic bottles,” “truck comes and pick up,” and “crushing of that block is happened”; these need forms such as “plastic bottles,” “the truck comes and picks them up,” and “the block is crushed.” The sentence “along with heating and melting … has happened” is also structurally unclear. There are some complex links, but they are not consistently controlled. Build accuracy with shorter stage-by-stage sentences, then practise combining them using correctly formed clauses and consistent present-simple verbs.

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.