Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-13

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 6.5)

The process below illustrates the recycling of the plastic bottles.

Looking at the overall diagram, it is evident that the procedure consists of total nine steps, starting from disposing of the plastic bottles in the recyclying bin to getting the useful products at the end.

Process commences with the dumping of the plastic bottles in the recycling bins and after that it is transported to the recycling centres by the garbage truck. Manually bottles are sorted out into useful ones and non-useful ones. Following this, bottles are compressed into blocks and then blocks are crushed into small pieces using the huge mechanical power. In the next stage, pieces were washed with the normal water and tiny plastic pellets are produced with the pellet making apparatures.

In the following step, pellets are heated to produce the raw materials and finally end products such as pens, pencils, t-shirts, lunchboxes etc are made from the raw ingredients.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response identifies the process as a nine-stage cycle and gives a clear overview from bottle disposal to the production of useful goods. It reports the main sequence accurately, including collection, sorting, compression, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating. The examples of final products also support the description. This is a relevant and mostly complete account, with the overview showing some of the synthesis expected at a stronger level. However, some details are less fully reported: the sorting stage’s rejection of unsuitable bottles is only implied by “useful ones and non-useful ones,” and the final return of products to the recycling bin, which closes the loop, is omitted. More precise coverage of these features would make the account more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information is arranged in a clear progression, moving from the overview into the stages in their correct order. Paragraphing separates the general summary from the process details, and phrases such as “Following this,” “In the next stage,” and “In the following step” help guide the reader. The sequence is easy to follow overall. Cohesion is somewhat reliant on these repeated time markers, however, and the final paragraph does not explicitly connect the end products back to the first stage, so the cycle’s progression is not fully signposted. A more varied use of linking and reference, alongside a concluding link that makes the loop explicit, would make the organisation more flexible and complete.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The response uses an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “compressed,” “crushed,” “pellets,” “raw materials,” and “end products,” which allows the stages to be understood. There are also attempts at more specific wording, such as “Manually bottles are sorted” and “mechanical power.” Some choices are inaccurate or unnatural for this diagram: “dumping” sounds informal, “useful ones” is vague, and “normal water” does not describe a feature shown. Spelling errors in “recyclying” and “apparatures” also reduce accuracy. Choose precise, neutral process terms and check spelling; for example, describe bottles as being “sorted into recyclable and non-recyclable items” rather than “useful ones and non-useful ones.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response attempts a mix of simple and more complex structures, including the overview clause “starting from … to …” and the sequence introduced by “Following this.” Meaning is generally clear, but some grammatical errors remain. The opening “Process commences” needs an article, while “Manually bottles are sorted” has awkward adverb placement. Tense is inconsistent: “pieces were washed” shifts to the past while the rest of the process is described in the present. There are also problems with number and article use in “the plastic bottles” and “the raw materials.” Use the present simple consistently for a process diagram, and check articles, plural forms and word order when revising.

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