Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-24

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 given diagram illustrate the circular process of how plastic bottles recycled.

Overall, it can be seen that there are nine different stages to recycle plastic which is continue process, which begin from collection of waste plastic bottles and ends with making various plastic items.

initially, plastic waste should be collected from waste and then sent it to recycling centre. The workers short listing the waste and separate things which can be recycled. Moreover, after shorting material it later compressed into squares by machine. Besides, compressed blocks later crushed with a particular machine which also consist wash tube, hence the crushed material collect into wash pot.

After then, a delegated machine produce pellets through process which later heated to form a raw material of plastic. Additionally, produced raw material use to make different plastic things including bottles, bags, boxes pens, cots and so on. at the end, people garbage it after using them and again it collected to be recycle.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all stages of the process, from collection to the final production of plastic items. The overview is clear and identifies the cyclical nature of the process. However, the description of the stages 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 technical stages (e.g., 'wash tube' or 'wash pot' are imprecise). The response addresses the prompt adequately, but the lack of detail in explaining the transition between stages keeps it at a mid-level band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the process. Cohesive devices such as 'initially', 'moreover', 'besides', and 'additionally' are used to link ideas. However, some of these transitions feel slightly mechanical or forced. The referencing is generally clear, though there are occasional lapses in flow, such as the sentence 'After then, a delegated machine produce pellets', which feels abrupt. Overall, the progression is logical, but the use of cohesive devices could be more natural and varied to achieve a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe the process clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'circular process' and 'compressed blocks'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'short listing' (instead of 'sorting'), 'garbage it' (used as a verb), and 'wash pot' (which is not standard terminology). These errors do not impede communication, but they demonstrate a limited range and some imprecision in technical description.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors throughout, including subject-verb agreement issues ('The given diagram illustrate', 'workers short listing', 'machine produce') and missing articles or incorrect verb forms ('it later compressed', 'collect into wash pot'). While these errors are frequent, they rarely prevent the reader from understanding the intended meaning. To improve, the student should focus on basic subject-verb agreement and the correct use of passive voice, which is essential for describing processes.

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

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