Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The plan below illustrates the procedure of recycling plastic bottels.

Overall, this process consists of nine stages. Firstly, plastic bottels were thrown in the recycling bins, then these bottels were crushed into pellets, and lastly, end product was made.

This whole process was started with throwing plastic bottels in the recycling bins, the trucks from the recycling companies come and take the trash to the recycling centers.The trash was sorted, seprating what to keep or what to throw, then the selected items were compressed into blocks, and then these blocks were crushed into small pieces by the help of cutting machines. The peices were washed, and after passing through a machine the plastic pellets were produced. The pellets were then heated at high temprature to make raw material.Lastly, the raw material was used for making varoius useful products such as plastic boxes and bottels, clothing items, shopping bags, and stationary.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main stages in the correct order, from placing bottles in bins through collection, sorting, compression, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating, to making new products. The overview also identifies the nine-stage process and its end point. These details show a clear understanding of the diagram. Some features are less fully reported, however: the diagram’s loop back from end products to the recycling bin is not mentioned, and the sorting stage’s rejection of unsuitable items could be described more precisely. The overview also says the bottles are “crushed into pellets,” which merges two separate stages; crushing produces small pieces, while pellets are made later. Including the circular nature and distinguishing these stages would make the summary more complete and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response follows the process in a generally logical sequence, and time markers such as “Firstly,” “then,” and “Lastly” help the reader track the stages. The overview is separated from the detailed account, which gives the response a useful basic structure. However, most of the detailed information is packed into one long paragraph, and the repeated use of “then” makes the progression somewhat mechanical. There is also a missing space after “centers.” before “The trash,” which disrupts the presentation. Use clear paragraphing for the overview and process details, and vary linking expressions while keeping the sequence explicit. A reference to the final arrow returning to the first stage would also clarify the process’s overall organisation.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “compressed,” “raw material,” “pellets,” and “sorted,” and the reader can understand the stages and examples of end products. However, the range is somewhat limited, with repeated general words such as “bottels,” “then,” and “made.” Several spelling errors—“bottels,” “seprating,” “peices,” “temprature,” “varoius,” and “stationary”—are noticeable and reduce accuracy. Some expressions are also imprecise or unnatural, such as “by the help of cutting machines” and “useful products.” Aim for accurate spelling and more specific process language, for example, describing the bottles as being “shredded” and the products as “manufactured.” This would improve precision without making the description unnecessarily complicated.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex forms, including the passive construction “were compressed into blocks” and the sequence “after passing through a machine.” These structures suit a process description, and the meaning is generally clear. Some grammatical errors remain. The opening overview shifts from present description to past forms (“were thrown,” “was made”), while “the trucks … come and take” uses a different tense; maintain the present simple or passive consistently. There are also article and number issues in “end product was made” and “the recycling centers,” and the sentence beginning “This whole process was started with throwing” is awkwardly constructed. Check sentence boundaries and punctuation, particularly the run-together “centers.The trash,” and use consistent, controlled sentence patterns.

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