Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-24

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 diagram illustrates how plastic bottles are recycled and products such as bags, shirts, pencils and new bottles are formed.

Overall, it is evident that the process consists of nine stages, beginning with throwing the waste materials in the dustbin and culminating in producing final products from the raw materials.

Initially, the used bottles and wastages are thrown in the dustbin and are collected using a vehicle. The collected wastages are taken to the recycling center where the shorting process begins. Next, the selected products undergo into compressing where it is converted into blocks. Then, it is crushed using a special tool. Afterwards, the pieces are washed properly in water.

Following this, the pieces are placed in a machine which produce a plastic pellets. The pellets are heated to form raw materials before converting it into the finished goods. Finally, the heated pellets are turned into raw materials and are converted into finished goods, such as shirts, pencils, bottles and boxes, which will be thrown in dustbin after being used.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student successfully covers all main features of the recycling process diagram, tracing the cycle from discarding plastic bottles through the various mechanical and chemical stages and back to the production of end products. An appropriate overview is provided in the second paragraph, highlighting the nine-stage closed-loop nature of the process. The progression is reported accurately according to the visual data, mentioning the recycling collection, sorting, compressing, crushing, washing, pellet production, heating, and final manufacturing stages. Although some minor details are generalised, the response fully addresses the prompt's requirements, demonstrating a clear understanding of the visual information.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is logically organised into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that follow the chronological sequence of the diagram. Cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'Next', 'Then', 'Afterwards', 'Following this', and 'Finally' are used to guide the reader through the stages. Paragraphing is employed appropriately to separate the introduction/overview from the detailed process steps. However, referencing is occasionally repetitive or slightly mechanical, such as the frequent pronoun shifts ('it', 'they'), but overall organisation and progression are clear throughout.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a process diagram, using terms such as 'recycling center', 'compressing', 'crushed', 'washed', 'pellets', and 'raw materials'. There are some word choice and spelling inaccuracies, such as 'shorting' instead of 'sorting', 'wastages' instead of 'waste', and the phrase 'undergo into compressing' rather than 'undergo compression' or 'are compressed'. Despite these lexical slips and minor non-systematic errors, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the process clearly and meets the requirements for a Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including relative clauses and passive voice constructions (e.g., 'are thrown in the dustbin and are collected using a vehicle'). There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasing instances, such as 'which produce a plastic pellets' (disagreement in number) and 'before converting it into' (dangling modifier/reference issue). Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while errors occur, they do not impede overall communication. The control of grammar aligns well with Band 6 descriptors.

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