Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-22

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 flowchart above describes the stages of recycling plastic articles and conatainers.

Overall, it illustrates the life of plastic bottles from the moment it is discarded to the stage where it is converted into useful everyday articles. The diagram also outlines the technical process it undergoes before it is transformed into a finished product of value.

Waste pickers collect these plastics from recycle bins and load it into trucks used to transport them to recycling plants. At the recycling centre, these bottles are sorted manually to segregate these based on size and type. These bottles are then compressed into huge blocks in order to crush them in a grinder.

These small grindings are washed to eradicate impurities and to be made safer for use. These clean form of plastics are transformed into pellets of more standard sizes. A thermal process assists in converting it into usable raw material which is packed in woven bags. Products like t-shirts, plastic containers, and other stationary items are the end product in this process.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully satisfies the requirements of Academic Task 1 by providing a clear and comprehensive summary of the process for recycling plastic bottles. An appropriate overview is established in the second paragraph, outlining the overall life cycle from discarded bottles to finished products. The body paragraphs accurately trace the sequence of the nine steps shown in the diagram, from collection and manual sorting at the recycling centre, through compression, crushing, washing, pellet production, and thermal processing into raw material, concluding with the creation of end products. All key features and logical stages of the closed-loop process are reported accurately without omitting crucial steps or inventing extraneous data, earning a strong band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The report demonstrates a clear logical organization and progression throughout. Information is grouped logically by stages of the process, and paragraphing is managed appropriately to separate the introduction, overview, and specific sequential steps. Cohesive devices such as 'At the recycling centre', 'These bottles are then', and 'These small grindings are washed' are used effectively to guide the reader through the linear flow of the diagram, although occasional mechanical transitions appear. Overall, the text flows smoothly and maintains clear referencing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student exhibits a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common and process-specific lexical items such as 'segregate', 'eradicate impurities', 'thermal process', and 'woven bags'. There is good awareness of vocabulary relating to manufacturing and recycling, though a few spelling and word-choice errors occur, such as the typographical error 'conatainers' in the opening sentence and the slightly unnatural phrasing 'clean form of plastics'. However, these lexical slips do not impede communication, and the terminology remains appropriate for an academic report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writing features a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including participial phrases and relative clauses (e.g., 'Articles like t-shirts, plastic containers, and other stationary items are the end product in this process'). Grammatical control is generally sound, though a few minor agreement and reference errors occur, such as 'load it into trucks' where 'it' lacks a clear singular antecedent given the plural 'plastics', and 'segregate these based on size'. Punctuation is accurate, and the majority of sentences are clear and well-formed, supporting an overall band score of 6.5.

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