Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-30
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 the process used for recycling plastic bottles.
Overall, process involves many stages. Beginning with collection of bottles and ending by manufacturing different items. Main stages include; Collection, Sorting, Producing, Compressing and Crushing.
Initially, consumers place the used bottles in the designated dustbins. Recycling truck collect these bottles and transported for sorting. For facility, sorting take place to seperate the suitable and unsuitable bottles. Suitable bottles then compressed into blocks before crushing. The crushing pieces then washed to purify the materials and to remove the impurities.
In the next stage, plastic pellets produced from purified materials of bottles. Now pallets are given proper heat to form the raw materials for manufacturing of the different products. In the final stage, raw materials are placed in a rectangular solid shape to form different products like, stationery equipments, food containers, clothing and bottles.
In summary, the process consist of multi-stages from collection of used bottles to converting into useful products. By this, recycling process completes and may still continue again.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers all stages of the recycling process, from collection to the final manufacturing of products. You have successfully identified the main features and provided a logical summary. However, the overview is somewhat simplistic; it would be more effective to highlight the cyclical nature of the process or the transformation of materials more clearly. While you mention the stages, the description of the 'sorting' and 'crushing' phases could be more precise to better reflect the visual information provided. Overall, the response is clear and fulfills the requirements of the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized logically into paragraphs, moving from the initial collection to the final manufacturing stage. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Initially', 'In the next stage', and 'In summary', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and there are minor issues with punctuation, such as the incorrect use of a semicolon after 'include'. Additionally, the flow between sentences could be improved by using more varied linking phrases to connect the stages of the process more fluidly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'designated', 'purify', and 'manufacturing'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'stationery equipments' (equipment is uncountable) and 'pallets' (likely meant 'pellets'). The repetition of 'bottles' and 'materials' suggests a limited range of synonyms. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise technical vocabulary related to industrial processes and ensure that word forms are used correctly in context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'Recycling truck collect', 'sorting take place', 'process consist') and article usage (e.g., 'For facility'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the process, they are frequent enough to impact the overall accuracy. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic agreement and ensuring that plural/singular forms are consistent throughout your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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