Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-04

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 different stages for recycling plastic bottles.

Overall, it is a renewable process that consists of nine steps including throwing, loading, sorting, compressing, crushing, pellet formation, heating, raw material transformation and ending up at producing end products.

Initially, beginning with the throwing of plastic cans into the bin after usage, and the trash is collected by a garbage truck. The sanitation worker is separating and placing these bottles into containers then this will lead to compressor where bottles are compressed into blocks. These blocks are crushed by passing into the crusher and this is followed by washing.

Furthermore, the crushed material is used to produce plastic pellets and these pellets are heating to transform into raw material.

Finally this raw material are in the form of stacked items one above the other. This source material is used for various purposes either for making clothes, colored pencils, polythene bags or disposable plastic bottles and boxes. These things can be utilized by humans and the whole process continues.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all stages of the recycling process, from collection to the final products. 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. For instance, the transition between 'washing' and 'pellet formation' is abrupt. While the main features are reported, the response would benefit from a more analytical approach to how the stages connect, rather than simply listing them sequentially. Overall, it fulfills the requirements of the task well.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized logically, following the chronological order of the process. Paragraphing is used, though the division between the introduction/overview and the body paragraphs could be more balanced. Cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'Furthermore', and 'Finally' are used to guide the reader, though some transitions feel slightly repetitive or mechanical. Referencing is generally clear, although the phrase 'this will lead to compressor' lacks an article, and 'these things' is a somewhat informal way to refer back to the end products. The flow is generally smooth and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, with terms like 'renewable process', 'transformation', and 'disposable' used correctly. However, there are some instances of imprecise word choice or awkward phrasing, such as 'throwing of plastic cans' (bottles are usually discarded or recycled, not thrown) and 'ending up at producing'. The use of 'sanitation worker' is accurate, but the overall lexical variety is somewhat limited. To reach a higher band, the student should aim for more precise collocations and a wider range of academic vocabulary to describe industrial processes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('this raw material are') and missing articles ('lead to compressor', 'passing into the crusher'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. The use of passive voice is appropriate for a process description, but the control over complex sentence structures needs to be more consistent to ensure accuracy.

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

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