Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-13

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 given diagram demonstrates the recycling process of plastic bottles.

Overall, it is a cyclic process. It consists of nine stages, and it starts from collecting bottles from the waste and ends at useful products.

Firstly, the bottles are collected from the garbage in the garbage truck. The loaded truck's container transports the collected material to the recycling centre. In the recycling centre, the plastic bottles are sorted according to the categories. The gathered bottles are compressed and converted into the shape of blocks. The crushing machine is used in the fifth step, the block shape plastic is put in the machine and crushed particles steadily move within the water container which is placed under the crushing machine.

Whereas, the washed plastic particles are converted into pellets by putting it inside the pellets producing machine. In the 7th step, the pellets are heated to form the raw material. The raw material is used to make bottles, transparent food boxes and shopping bags etc..

The process is again repeated and passes through all of the above stages to make plastic objects.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all the main stages of the plastic bottle recycling process, from the initial collection of bottles in waste trucks to the final creation of raw materials and new products. The overview effectively captures the cyclic nature of the process and notes that it consists of nine stages. Key details are reported, such as sorting, compressing into blocks, crushing, washing, and melting into pellets. However, some minor details could be extended or linked more explicitly to the visual data to reach the highest bands. Overall, the task is addressed well, fulfilling the requirements for an Academic Task 1 summary.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The report exhibits a clear overall progression, beginning with an introductory overview and following the chronological steps of the diagram. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'In the recycling centre', and 'Whereas' are employed to guide the reader through the sequence, although 'Whereas' is used inappropriately in the middle of the text where a contrast does not exist. Paragraphing is utilized, though paragraph breaks could be better managed to group related steps, such as separating the crushing and washing stages more clearly. Referencing is generally functional.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing a process, incorporating terms like 'recycling centre', 'compressed', 'particles', 'pellets', and 'raw material'. There are some awkward collocations or lexical choices, such as 'block shape plastic' instead of 'plastic blocks' and 'pellets producing machine' instead of 'pelletizer' or 'pellet-producing machine'. However, spelling is generally accurate, and the vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main features of the diagram clearly without impeding understanding.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing passive structures appropriately for a process description, such as 'the bottles are collected' and 'the raw material is used'. There are some grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, including 'the recycling process of plastic bottles' (better as 'the process of recycling plastic bottles') and 'by putting it inside' where 'it' lacks a clear singular antecedent. Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while errors occur, they rarely impede communication.

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