Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-12
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 diagram illustrates the various stages involved in the recycling of plastic bottels .
Overall , it is clear that there are nine steps of recycling plastic bottels . It start with collection of discarded plastic bottels and end with turned into reusable products .
To begin with , the first step is unwanted bottels are placed in trash bins . then it collected by trucks and transported to a recycling centre . However , in the recycling centre bottles are sorted by hand but any bottel which is not suitable it is remove . After storing it compressed into blocks then fed into a crusher machine . It broke plastic into small particles and subsequently washed in a tank .
Furthermore , after cleaning it transfer into another manchine in which it converted into pellets . The seven step is the plastic pellets heated at high temperature . Moreover , it stored in piles as a raw material . At end with the help of raw material producing products such as plastic bottles , containers , shopping bags , cloths and pens . Some of finished items may eventually be discarded into trash bins and re- enter into the recycling chain .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The response covers the main stages and gives a clear overall account: bottles are collected, sorted, processed into raw material, and made into new products. The overview identifies the start and end of the cycle, and the examples of end products broadly match the diagram. Some details are less fully or precisely reported, however. The diagram shows unsuitable bottles being separated from recyclable ones, but “any bottle which is not suitable it is remove” is unclear about what happens to them. The account also says the bottles are “stored in piles” as raw material, whereas the visual shows the material packaged on a pallet. The main stages are present, but greater precision and a clearer description of sorting and the raw-material stage would strengthen coverage.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The response has a coherent overall arrangement, with an introduction and overview followed by the stages in sequence. The transition from collection to sorting and then processing is generally easy to follow, and “Furthermore” signals the later stages. However, some linking is mechanical or imprecise: “However” does not express a contrast in the sorting sentence, and “Moreover” adds little to the sequence. The paragraphing is also limited, with the process details presented in one long paragraph. Use clearer stage-based grouping and sequence markers such as “Next,” “After washing,” and “Finally.” Ensure references remain clear—for example, specify what “it” refers to in “after cleaning it transfer”—to make progression smoother.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The response uses enough process vocabulary to communicate the stages, including “transported,” “compressed,” “crusher,” “particles,” and “raw material.” It also names several relevant end products. However, the range and control are uneven, with noticeable spelling and word-choice problems such as “bottels,” “manchine,” “cloths,” and “trash bins.” Some combinations are unnatural or imprecise: “stored in piles as a raw material” does not match the diagram, and “turned into reusable products” is awkwardly phrased. Aim for accurate process collocations and vary repeated words such as “bottles” and “products.” More precise terms such as “recycling bin,” “rejected,” and “finished goods” would improve clarity and appropriacy.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
There are attempts at complex structures, including “which is not suitable” and the final sentence describing discarded items re-entering the cycle. However, control of sentence structure and verb forms is inconsistent, and errors sometimes make relationships unclear. For example, “It start with collection … and end with turned into” has agreement and verb-form problems; “then it collected by trucks” omits the auxiliary; and “after cleaning it transfer … in which it converted” lacks appropriate passive forms. The sentence beginning “At end with the help of raw material” is also structurally incomplete. Use passive constructions consistently for this process, such as “the bottles are collected” and “the pellets are heated,” and check subject–verb agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries.
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