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)

he 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 them 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.

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 successfully covers all parts of the prompt by summarising the main features of the plastic bottle recycling process. The overview provided in the second paragraph captures the cyclic nature of the process and outlines its scope from start to finish. Key stages such as collection, sorting, compressing, crushing, washing, pelletising, and manufacturing into new products are appropriately selected and reported. However, the development is slightly uneven, and some descriptions lack precise technical detail from the diagram, such as missing the melting stage before pellet production or specific temperature mentions. Nevertheless, the main features are clearly presented, satisfying the requirements for a Band 6.5 or 7.0, and it is awarded a solid Band 6.5 for addressing all parts with relevant ideas, though some steps could be more fully extended.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement and follows a logical chronological sequence that mirrors the stages in the diagram. Paragraphing is used to separate the introduction and overview from the detailed steps, although the paragraphing structure could be improved by breaking down the long third paragraph. Cohesive devices are employed to guide the reader through the process, such as 'Firstly', 'In the recycling centre', 'Whereas', and 'In the 7th step'. However, referencing and transitions are at times mechanical or slightly awkward, such as starting a sentence with 'Whereas, the washed plastic particles...', which misuses the conjunctive adverb. Overall, the flow is coherent, but the misuse of certain cohesive ties and the slightly chunky paragraphing place it firmly in the Band 6 category.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The candidate demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using process-related terms such as 'recycling process', 'transport', 'sorted', 'compressed', 'crushing machine', and 'raw material'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, though some word choices are imprecise or awkward, such as 'block shape plastic' instead of 'plastic blocks' or 'pellets producing machine' instead of 'pelletiser'. Spelling is generally accurate, but minor word-choice errors occur throughout the text. The lexical range is sufficient to communicate the main ideas clearly without causing significant difficulty for the reader, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptor.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'The crushing machine is used in the fifth step, the block shape plastic is put in the machine and crushed particles steadily move...' which contains a comma splice. There are several grammatical inaccuracies and awkward phrasings, such as 'starts from collecting bottles from the waste and ends at useful products' and missing articles or incorrect prepositions ('in the garbage truck', 'into the shape of blocks'). While the errors are noticeable and prevent a higher band, they rarely impede overall communication, as the meaning of the process steps remains understandable. This performance corresponds to a Band 6.

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

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