Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The given diagram demonstrates the recycling process of plastic bottles.

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

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

Meanwhile, the washed plastic particles are converted into pellets by being placed inside the pellet producing machine. In the seventh step, the pellets are heated to form the raw material. The raw material is used to make bottles, transparent food boxes, shopping bags, stationery, and shirts. The process is repeated and passes through all the above stages to produce plastic objects.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing an overview of the plastic bottle recycling process and outlining the main stages from collection to the creation of final products. The response accurately notes that it is a cyclic process consisting of nine stages. Key features such as sorting, compression, crushing, washing, pellet production, and heating are identified and reported in sequence. While the reporting tends to be somewhat sequential rather than deeply analytical or comparative, it fully satisfies the requirements of Academic Task 1 by summarizing the information effectively. The overview is clear and the progression of steps is well covered without missing major details from the visual prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response exhibits a clear logical organisation and progression throughout the description of the process. The student effectively uses sequencing language to guide the reader, such as 'Overall', 'Firstly', 'In the recycling center', 'Meanwhile', and 'In the seventh step'. Information and ideas are logically sequenced, moving smoothly from garbage collection to final everyday objects. However, paragraphing is somewhat underdeveloped, as the entire body of the text is crammed into a single large paragraph following the introduction, which limits the score for paragraphing management. Referencing and cohesive devices are generally functional and clear, ensuring the reader can follow the complex multi-stage process easily.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully employing topic-specific terms such as 'recycling center', 'compressed', 'crushing machine', 'particles', 'pellets', and 'raw material'. There are attempts to use less common phrasing, such as 'cyclic process' and 'transparent food boxes', which enhance the description. Word choice and collocation are mostly accurate, although some expressions feel slightly repetitive or mechanical (e.g., repeating 'the crushing machine'). Spelling and word formation are accurate throughout, allowing the reader to comprehend the vocabulary effortlessly without any communication breakdown.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, with generally good control over basic structures. The student successfully incorporates passive voice constructions, which are essential for describing processes, such as 'the bottles are collected', 'the plastic bottles are sorted', and 'the pellets are heated'. There are occasional awkward phrasings or slightly unnatural structural choices, such as 'converted into the shape of blocks' or 'by being placed inside', but these do not impede communication. Punctuation is sound, and the majority of sentences are grammatically accurate, showcasing a solid foundation in handling standard process-writing grammar.

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