Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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)

This given chart illustrates how the plastic waste is recycled and make other products from that waste. In further paragraphs I will discuss the process of recycling and how the new products are made.

Whenever an individual throws plastic waste in garbage that plastic is stored in that garbage and that stored waste is transported to the recycling centre through heavy transports. At recycling centre the plastic bottles are gone through a process called sorting, where the plastic bottles are seperated based on their core material. After sorting that waste is transferred to compressing machine where that plastic bottles are compressed under high pressure with hydraulic press and all the waste is converted into blocks.

Moreover, these blocks are then transferred to crushing machine, where the blocks are disintegrated into small pieces and these pieces are then washed in a water container. In the following stage, these pieces are then converted into plastic pellets which are microplastics. These microplastics are then heated and the final products are obtained which are raw plastics. In the final stage, these raw plastics are used to ma

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the recycling process, from collection to the production of raw materials. However, the response is incomplete, as it ends abruptly mid-sentence ('used to ma'), failing to describe the final output or the conclusion of the process. While the main features are identified, the lack of a clear overview and the unfinished nature of the report prevent a higher score. To improve, ensure you include a clear summary of the overall process in the introduction and complete all sentences to provide a full account of the information presented in the diagram.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the sequence of events. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'In the following stage', and 'In the final stage' are used to link ideas. However, the progression is somewhat mechanical, and the abrupt ending significantly disrupts the coherence of the final paragraph. Referencing is generally clear, but the repetitive use of 'that' and 'these' makes the flow less sophisticated. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring a logical conclusion would enhance the overall structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with terms like 'disintegrated', 'compressed', and 'hydraulic press' showing an attempt to use specific terminology. However, there are some inaccuracies and repetitive phrasing, such as 'heavy transports' (instead of 'heavy vehicles' or 'trucks') and 'garbage' (which is less precise than 'waste' or 'refuse'). The range is sufficient to convey the basic meaning, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Focusing on more academic collocations and avoiding repetitive sentence starters will help improve this score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'the plastic bottles are gone through a process' (should be 'go through'), 'seperated' (spelling error), and 'make other products' (should be 'making'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. To reach a higher band, you should focus on subject-verb agreement, correct passive voice construction, and proofreading for common spelling mistakes. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures would also be beneficial.

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

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