Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-07-27
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 diagram illustrates how plastic bottles are recycled.
Overall, it is man-made process. Process consists of nine steps for recycling bottles beginning with collect waste in the basket and ending with manufacturing final products.
To begin with, dustbins are collected waste from people. Once waste has been collected, a truck is arrived at specific location for collecting waste from dustbin and also use for transportation of waste from different city's location to the factory. Subsequently, in the factory or recycling centre, people check the waste and bottles are put into different basket for separation. After that, all bottles undergo the compression process and make blocks.
In addition, blocks are crushed by crushing machine and crushed material is directly put into water container mainly for washing. After this, washed material is added into machine which is produced plastic pellets then heat is given to the pellets for removing moisture content and it is produced raw material. At the last step, raw material is used for making a wide range of products such as clothes, pencils, bags and boxes.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response covers all stages of the recycling process, from collection to the final product. The overview is clear, identifying the process as a nine-step cycle. However, the description of the steps is somewhat mechanical and lacks a focus on the most significant features or comparisons. For instance, the transition between the crushing and washing stages is described, but the summary could be improved by grouping related stages more effectively to show a clearer logical flow. The response meets the requirements of the task by reporting the main features, but it could be more analytical in its presentation of the data.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction and body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Subsequently', and 'In addition' are used to link ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly repetitive or mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, though some sentences, such as 'a truck is arrived at specific location', suffer from awkward phrasing that disrupts the flow. Overall, the progression of ideas is logical, but the use of cohesive devices could be more varied and sophisticated to achieve a higher band score.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe the process clearly. Words like 'compression', 'separation', and 'moisture content' are used appropriately. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'dustbins are collected waste' (should be 'collect waste') and 'it is produced raw material' (should be 'it produces raw material'). The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Expanding the range of verbs and nouns related to industrial processes would be beneficial.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses and passive voice construction, such as 'a truck is arrived' instead of 'a truck arrives' or 'is used to collect'. Additionally, there are issues with article usage ('from different city's location') and subject-verb agreement. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the process, they are frequent enough to indicate a lack of control over complex structures. More attention to sentence construction and proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy is needed.
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