Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-14

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 process diagram illustrates how the plastic bottles are recycled.

Overall, the recycling process involves nine distinct steps with the loop that begin with starting step once the entire process finishes. Process beginning with dumping of plastic items into bins and ending with recycled plastic goods.

Starting with, the used plastic products are dumped into the recycling bin, separating them from other form of waste, after which the plastic waste is collected by the trash trucks and transported to the recycling center. Where the waste collected is sorted into recyclable and non-recyclable waste, manually.

Once the sorting is done, the waste is compressed into a block of plastic using large pressures, the block is then passed between two spiky rollers which crushes the block forming the fragments of plastic, falling into the big container of some specific liquid. The fragments are washed in the liquid and poured into a machinery in order to produce plastic pallets. Raw materials are are formed by heating the pallets at controlled temperature, using which the recycled products like pencils, bags, cloths, boxes and such are produced. These recycled goods are made available to public who purchases them and the entire process is repeated again.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all stages of the recycling process, from collection to the production of new goods. The overview is clear, identifying the cyclical nature of the process. However, the description of the steps is somewhat mechanical and lacks a more sophisticated synthesis of the information. While the main features are reported, the response would benefit from more precise terminology regarding the machinery and the specific physical changes occurring at each stage. Overall, it successfully addresses the requirements of the prompt by summarizing the process clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs detailing the process. Cohesive devices such as 'Starting with', 'Once the sorting is done', and 'These recycled goods' are used to guide the reader through the sequence. However, some transitions feel slightly repetitive, and the sentence structure occasionally lacks variety, which makes the flow feel a bit mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing for a clear description of the process. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'compressed', 'fragments', and 'controlled temperature'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'big container of some specific liquid' and 'forming the fragments', which could be more precise. The range is sufficient to convey the meaning, but it lacks the sophistication and flexibility required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'the loop that begin with starting step', 'Raw materials are are formed', and 'public who purchases them'. These errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Punctuation is generally functional, but the control over complex sentence structures is inconsistent, with some awkward phrasing that affects the overall fluency of the writing.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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