Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-14

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 how plastic bottles are recycled and produce final product in 9 steps.

Overall, the recycling process consist of 9 stages. Putting the wasted bottles into trash then collecting wasted bottles from different type of transport. Washing, compressing and crushing the bottles and after that making the final product.

In first step, wasted bottles or plastic are thrown in dustbins after that these plastic bottles are collected by people and trown into garbage truck. In third step, garbage vehicles go to recycling centre where van dispose off all the wasted bottles. In recycling centre individuals put bottles which are in good condition to right cabin and damaged bottles into other cabin. In fourth stage, all the bottles are compressed into blocks.

Compressed bottles are putted into crushing machine, where blocks are cutt into small pieces and washed. In sixth step, pieces are put into machine, which produce plastic pellets. Plastic pellets are heated enough to form raw material. Raw material goes into manufacturing plant to produce final product (clothes, recycled bags, pencils, bottles and plastic cups).

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main stages from disposal through collection, sorting, processing and the creation of new products, and your opening overview correctly identifies a nine-stage process. The account of compression, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating is broadly consistent with the diagram. This is a strong response to the task, but some details are unclear or inaccurate: the bottles are collected by a truck, rather than “people” collecting them, and the sorting boxes indicate accepted and rejected bottles, not necessarily bottles in good or damaged condition. The overview also omits the important closed-loop feature: the end products can return to the recycling bin. Including this and describing the stages more precisely would make the coverage more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response follows the process in a generally logical order, and the paragraph break separates the overview from the stage-by-stage account. Sequencing phrases such as “In first step,” “In third step” and “In sixth step” help readers follow the stages. However, the overview is presented as a fragment-like list, and the main paragraph becomes a long sequence of actions with limited grouping. Some references are also confusing: “these plastic bottles” and “all the wasted bottles” do not always make clear which stage or group is meant. Organise the stages into clearer phases—for example, collection and sorting, then processing and reuse—and use transitions such as “Once sorted” or “Finally” to create smoother progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “compressed,” “crushing machine,” “plastic pellets” and “raw material,” which allows you to describe the main operations. However, several choices are imprecise or repetitive, particularly the repeated use of “wasted bottles” and “final product.” Some expressions do not fit the diagram or sound unnatural, such as “trash,” “garbage vehicles,” “right cabin” and “manufacturing plant.” There are also spelling errors, including “trown,” “putted” and “cutt,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for precise, consistent terms and check spelling; for instance, describe the collection vehicle as a recycling truck and the sorting destinations as accepted and rejected containers.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

Your response communicates the sequence, but grammatical control is uneven and sentence structures are mostly simple, with some attempted longer constructions. Errors include subject–verb agreement in “the recycling process consist” and “machine, which produce,” as well as incorrect verb forms in “are putted” and “blocks are cutt.” Articles and sentence construction also need attention: “In first step” should be “In the first step,” while the overview sentence beginning “Putting the wasted bottles…” is not a complete sentence. These issues sometimes make the description less clear, although the overall meaning remains recoverable. Practise accurate passive forms for process descriptions and combine stages using controlled clauses, checking agreement and verb forms in each sentence.

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