Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-03

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 diagrams elaborate the process of recycling of plastic bottles. Initially, the people after using these bottles throw them in the dustbin. After this, the truck of muncipal organization carries the waste to the recycling center for sorting. Then they are compressed in blocks which will be followed by crushing and then washing. The washed material will be then transferred to machine where they will be further processed into plastic pellets. For the formation of raw material, they will be heated and at the end, it will result in the formation of different products that will be used in daily life. These end daily use things includes stuff such as different lunch boxes, shirt, pencils, bags for carrying and maintaing things and also the water bottles again. So, in this way the cycle continues and new products will be formed by utilizing old products. This is a technique which is eco-friendly and help in the formation of useful things for daily use.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response covers the main stages in the correct general order, from bottles being discarded and collected through sorting, compression, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating, to new products. It also recognises that the process is cyclical and gives relevant examples such as lunch boxes, pencils, bags and bottles. This makes the account relevant and broadly complete. However, some important details are unclear or omitted: the sorting stage’s separation into accepted and rejected items is not explained, and the final products are described as “different products” without clearly stating that the diagram shows the loop returning to the recycling bin. The opening also calls the visual “diagrams,” although it is one process. A more explicit overview of the recycling loop and clearer reporting of the sorting decision would make the key features more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The stages are presented in a generally logical sequence, and transitions such as “Initially,” “After this,” “Then,” and “at the end” help the reader follow the process. The closing sentence also attempts to connect the final products back to the cycle. However, the response is written as one continuous paragraph, so the overview and the detailed stages are not clearly separated. Several links are mechanical, and references such as “they” in “they are compressed” and “they will be heated” do not clearly identify the material or bottles. The final comments about daily use and environmental benefits interrupt the process description rather than extending its sequence. Grouping the stages into paragraphs and using precise references would improve progression and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses a reasonable range of process vocabulary, including “sorting,” “compressed,” “crushing,” “washing,” “plastic pellets” and “raw material,” which helps communicate the main stages. It also attempts to describe the products with examples. However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural for this task: “dustbin” is less suitable than “recycling bin,” “truck of muncipal organization” is awkward, and “formation of different products” is repeated in place of more direct wording such as “manufacture.” There are also spelling errors, including “muncipal” and “maintaining,” and the phrase “maintaining things” does not accurately describe a carrier bag. More precise process collocations and careful proofreading would make the vocabulary clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

There is some variety in sentence structure, including sequencing clauses and the relative clause in “things … that will be used in daily life.” Most of the process remains understandable despite some grammatical errors. For example, “These end daily use things includes” has incorrect agreement and an awkward noun phrase; “they will be compressed” and “they will be heated” also leave the pronoun reference unclear. The passive construction “will be then transferred to machine” is missing an article, while “this … help” has a subject–verb agreement error. The response also shifts between present and future forms without a clear reason. Use consistent present simple for a general process, check singular/plural agreement, and make the subject of each passive clause explicit.

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