Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-07-28

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 7.0)

The flowchart illustrates how plastic bottles are recycled.

Overall, the process follows cyclic order. There are nine significant steps involve in the procedure. It begins with throwing plastic bottles away and ends by producing various goods from wasted containers.

All the waste plastic containers are gather into rubbish bin. Garbage is collected by garbage trucks and sent it to recycling centre. In recycling area plastic bottles are sorted from other components mostly it is done manually. Further, plastic containers are sent for compression where a larger hydraulic machines compress them into blocks.

Then, blocks are undergo for crushing stage where two giant roller crush them into minute pieces and they are washed properly with suitable material. The obtained plastic pieces are added into a machine which transform them into pellets. The pellets are heated so it can use as raw material. The raw components are stored and utilized for synthesis different products such as polythene bags, plastic box and many more. This cycle repeats when these new items get old or break.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have successfully identified the main stages of the recycling process and provided a clear overview. The response covers all steps from collection to the final synthesis of products. However, the description could be improved by making more explicit comparisons or highlighting the cyclical nature more effectively in the body paragraphs. While you mention the process is cyclic, the transition between the final product and the initial collection could be more clearly integrated into the flow of the report. Overall, you have addressed the requirements of the task well, providing a logical summary of the provided diagram.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized, moving chronologically through the nine steps. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Then', 'Further', and 'Overall' to guide the reader. However, the paragraphing is slightly unbalanced; the second paragraph is quite dense and could have been split to better separate the collection/sorting phase from the processing/manufacturing phase. Additionally, some cohesive links feel a bit mechanical. To reach a higher band, try to vary your linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus to improve the overall flow and progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'compression', 'synthesis', and 'recycling centre' appropriately. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'cyclic order' (better: 'a cyclical process') and 'rubbish bin' (better: 'recycling bin' or 'collection point'). You also have some grammatical errors affecting word forms, such as 'synthesis different products' (should be 'synthesizing different products'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Expanding your repertoire of process-related verbs would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that, while they do not impede communication, are noticeable. Examples include 'steps involve in the procedure' (should be 'involved'), 'are gather' (should be 'are gathered'), and 'blocks are undergo' (should be 'undergo'). Additionally, there are issues with article usage and pluralization, such as 'in recycling area' and 'plastic box'. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of passive voice, which is essential for describing processes. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures would also help improve your score.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.