Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-06

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 6.0)

The provided flow chart illustrates the various stages involved in the recycling of plastic bottles.

Overall, it is clear that the process is man-made, step by step procedure consisting of nine distinct stages. It begins with the initial throwing bottles in recycle bin and culminates in the producing end products.

In the first stage of the process, bottles are collected from trash bin and then moved to recycle centre. Following this, the material undergoes a process of sorting. Once this step is complete, subsequently the bottles are compressed into blocks.

Turning to the remaining steps, the semi-finished product passed through crushing and it is washed with water. After that, the material undergoes a process of producing pellets and giving heat to form a raw material. After a period of time, raw material is converted into useful things such as t-shirt,bottle, pencils and bags

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the diagram as a recycling process and give a clear overall summary: it has nine stages, begins with bottles being put in a bin, and ends with products being made. You also report several key stages in the correct order, including sorting, compressing, crushing, washing and pellet production. However, some details are incomplete or imprecise: the diagram shows bottles placed in a recycling bin, not collected from a “trash bin,” and the collection truck and the sorting centre’s rejection of unsuitable items are not explained. The final products are only partly represented, and the account does not make clear that the process loops back to the start. The response is also seven words below the required minimum. Develop these omitted features to make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall structure: an introduction and overview are followed by two paragraphs describing the stages, with a clear progression from collection to end products. Sequencing expressions such as “Following this,” “Once this step is complete,” and “After that” help the reader follow the process. However, some linking is mechanical or redundant, as in “Once this step is complete, subsequently,” and “Turning to the remaining steps” does not add much meaning. The final paragraph also compresses several stages into one long sequence, while the return arrow that completes the cycle is not connected to the description. Use simpler transitions and give each group of stages a clearer progression, including the loop back to the beginning.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “sorting,” “compressed,” “crushing,” “pellets,” and “raw material,” which makes the main stages understandable. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “culminates in” and “undergoes a process of.” Some choices are inaccurate or awkward for this diagram: “trash bin” does not match the recycling bin shown, “giving heat” is not a natural description of the heating stage, and “useful things” is too general for the end products. The phrase “initial throwing bottles” is also an imprecise way to describe the first stage. Choose precise process verbs and name the products more specifically; this would improve clarity and collocational control without requiring unnecessarily elaborate vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the overview sentence beginning “Overall” and the time clause “Once this step is complete.” Most of the sequence remains understandable, but some grammatical errors are noticeable. For example, “step by step procedure” needs an article, and “the initial throwing bottles” has an incomplete grammatical construction. In “the semi-finished product passed through crushing,” the verb form does not fit the present-tense process description; “raw material is converted” shows more appropriate tense control. The final sentence also lacks a full stop, and punctuation around the list is inconsistent. Aim for consistent present simple passive forms, such as “the bottles are crushed,” and check articles, verb forms and sentence endings.

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