Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-17

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 visual display illustrates how plastic bottled are recycled.

Overall, it is a 9- step cyclical process that begins with collecting plastic containers and end with producing end products.

Initially, the plastic wastes are thrown away by individuals into trash cans, the waste is been gathered together and picked up by a garbage van who transport them to the recyling centre. At the centre the plastic materials are sorted out by a worker manually, after sorting the plastics, they are compressed into larger blocks. These blocks are crushed into smaller pieces by a machine and then washed.

Following this, the clean fragments are processed in a machine to produce plastic pallets. These pallets are then heated to form raw materials.

Finally, this raw materials are used to manufacture new end products such as shirts, books, pencils, bag, and bottles, thereby completing the cycle of the recycling process.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully identifies the main features of the recycling process, covering all nine stages from the initial collection to the creation of end products. An overview is provided, noting it is a cyclical process. However, there are a few minor typos in the description, such as 'bottled' instead of 'bottles' and 'end' instead of 'ends' in the introduction. Furthermore, the response is slightly under the word count requirement, standing at 147 words instead of the minimum 150 words. Despite this, all key stages of the process diagram are accurately reported and sequenced.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized into coherent paragraphs that follow the chronological order of the process. The student effectively uses transition signals and cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'Following this', and 'Finally' to guide the reader smoothly through the stages of the diagram. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, overview, and body steps. Referencing is generally clear, though minor mechanical issues in grammar slightly detract from seamless flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing a process, incorporating terms like 'cyclical process', 'compressed', 'crushed', 'fragments', and 'manufacture'. There are some word choice and spelling errors, such as 'pallets' instead of 'pellets' and 'recyling', as well as grammatical slips like 'this raw materials' instead of 'these raw materials'. Nevertheless, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the essential steps of the diagram without impeding communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses and passive constructions like 'the plastic wastes are thrown away' and 'are compressed into larger blocks'. However, there are several noticeable grammatical errors and awkward passive usages, including 'the waste is been gathered together', 'a garbage van who transport them', and subject-verb agreement issues like 'this raw materials are'. These errors occur with some frequency, placing the response firmly in the Band 6 territory.

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

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