Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-26

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 illustrates a cyclical step-by-step procedure of how plastic bottles are recycled.

Overall, the process undergoes multiple stages of production system. It includes a blend of industrial and production process while restarting the entire task from collecting the bottles.

At first, the used bottles are collected from dustbins by dedicated trucks. In a recycling centre, they short the plastic bottles and keep them for further work and remove any other that can not be recycled. Thereafter, the plastic bottle are compressed into blocks and proceeds to the crushing phase. In this phase, the blocks are crushed and washed properly to remove any impurity.

In the following stages, the washed pieces go through a machine to produce plastic pellets. Subsequently, the pellets are heated to form raw material. These raw materials are stored in blocks. Finally, the raw materials are ready to be transported to various production houses for manufacturing a different range of items such as plastic bottle bags and boxes, pens as well as garment item like t shirt.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response successfully identifies the main stages of the recycling process. You have provided a clear overview and followed the sequence of events logically. However, to reach a higher band, you should aim to highlight the 'main features' more explicitly. For example, noting that the process is a closed-loop system or identifying the transition from raw waste to finished products would strengthen the summary. The description of the stages is accurate, but some parts, such as the initial collection, could be linked more effectively to the overall purpose of the diagram.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the process. You use some cohesive devices like 'At first', 'Thereafter', and 'Subsequently' to guide the reader through the stages. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical. Some transitions feel slightly repetitive, and the connection between the overview paragraph and the body paragraphs could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that referencing (e.g., 'In this phase') is always precise will help elevate the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'cyclical', 'compressed', 'impurity', and 'manufacturing'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'short the plastic bottles' (should be 'sort') and 'garment item like t shirt' (should be 'garment items like t-shirts'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise vocabulary usage. To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and ensuring pluralization is consistent throughout your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'the plastic bottle are compressed' (subject-verb agreement) and 'remove any other that can not be recycled' (missing noun). Additionally, there are minor punctuation issues, such as missing hyphens in compound adjectives (e.g., 'step-by-step' is used correctly, but 't-shirt' needs a hyphen). While these errors are noticeable, they rarely cause confusion. Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences will help you achieve a higher score.

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

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