Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

This given chart illustrates how the plastic waste is recycled and make other products from that waste.

Overall, it can be clearly seen that this is a linear process, starting with collecting used bottles and ending with making new products. This process undergoes several steps.

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 make new products like bottles, clothes, carry bags and food containers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all stages of the recycling process, from collection to the production of new items. The overview is clear and identifies the linear nature of the process. However, the description is somewhat repetitive and relies heavily on a step-by-step narrative rather than synthesizing the information more effectively. While all key features are mentioned, the analysis could be improved by grouping stages more logically or highlighting the transformation of materials more concisely. The response meets the requirements of the task well, providing a clear summary of the provided diagram.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing the process. Cohesive devices such as 'Whenever', 'Moreover', and 'In the following stage' are used to guide the reader through the sequence. However, the referencing is sometimes mechanical, and the flow between sentences can feel slightly repetitive due to the frequent use of 'these' and 'that'. Despite this, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with terms like 'disintegrated', 'hydraulic press', and 'microplastics' showing a good attempt to use topic-specific language. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'heavy transports' instead of 'heavy transport vehicles' or 'gone through a process' instead of 'undergo a process'. The range is sufficient to convey the meaning clearly, but it lacks the sophistication and precision required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'make other products' instead of 'making other products' and 'plastic bottles are gone through' instead of 'plastic bottles go through'. Punctuation is generally correct, but there are minor issues with article usage and verb forms. The majority of sentences are understandable, but the frequency of these small errors prevents a higher score in this category.

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

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