Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-11

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 presents the stages for recycling plastic bottles.

Overall, this is a continuous process, and there are nine stages involved in this process, starting from a man putting bottles to the recycling bin to the last stage of recycling which was the producing of clothes, plastic can,bag and then the process continue all over again.

In the first five stages, it all started from putting the bottle in the bin,then move it to a truck were it was transported recycling center, this process involve sorting the bottles out after washing. In compressing stage, it was turn into block. However, stage five has two processes which are crushing and washing.

Furthermore, stage six is the producing of plastic pollets,then moved to heading of pollets to form raw material and after raw material were form it now packaged and fold. Then the last process which is stage nine are the producing of bag,pencil,shirt and plastic bottles, before the process repeat again.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main stages of the recycling process, but the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear overview of the cyclical nature of the process. While you identify the nine stages, the explanation of the transition between stages is occasionally confusing, such as the description of 'stage five' having two processes. To improve, ensure you group the stages more logically (e.g., collection, processing, and manufacturing) rather than simply listing them numerically. The summary of the final products is accurate, but the overall report would benefit from a more cohesive synthesis of how the raw materials are transformed into new items.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the sequence of events. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive and occasionally mechanical, such as the frequent use of 'then' and 'stage'. The transition between sentences could be smoother; for example, 'In the first five stages, it all started from...' is a bit clunky. To reach a higher band, try to use a wider variety of linking words and phrases to show the relationship between the different steps in the process, such as 'subsequently', 'following this', or 'once the bottles have been processed'.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision required for a higher band. You use basic terms like 'putting', 'move', and 'producing', which are functional but not sophisticated. There are also some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'heading of pollets' and 'truck were it was transported', which should be 'transported to a recycling centre'. To improve, focus on using more specific technical vocabulary related to industrial processes, such as 'collection', 'sorting', 'granulated', or 'manufactured'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. For instance, 'this process involve sorting' lacks subject-verb agreement, and 'it was turn into block' should be 'it was turned into blocks'. Additionally, there are issues with punctuation and article usage throughout the text. To improve, pay closer attention to verb tenses—ensure consistency when describing a process—and proofread for basic subject-verb agreement and pluralisation errors, which are currently quite frequent.

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