Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-27
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 depicts the step-by-step recycling procedure of plastic bottles.
Overall, the recycling process comprises nine distinct stages, moving from initial collection of waste to creation of products or goods that are discarded anew, making it a complete cyclic loop.
Initially the process begins with the accumulation of waste then it drop at the their specialized centers for sorting. After that the sorted material is compressed which transform it into pair of blocks . Subsequently, those blocks falling into massive blades that crushed it and afterward slumped into washing sector for cleaning .
On the other hand, the phase two of conversion raw plastics to making products begins with chuted plastic particles into mixture that change its shape to little pellets . The most dramatic stage witnessed an heating pellets as compared to raw material that made from it is an amazing or complete changeable format . At the end of this stage , products were made from using these raw material and export to all over the world.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The student successfully identifies the main features of the diagram, noting that it is a cyclical process consisting of nine distinct stages from waste collection to final end products. The overview is clear and accurately captures the closed-loop nature of the diagram. While the response covers all parts of the task well, some of the descriptions of intermediate steps lack precision and contain minor inaccuracies regarding the exact mechanical actions depicted (for instance, describing the compressed blocks as falling into blades rather than being crushed between rotating gears). Nevertheless, the core progression is reported adequately, earning a solid band 6.5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response is arranged logically with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that follow the chronological flow of the diagram. Cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'After that', 'Subsequently', and 'On the other hand' are employed to guide the reader through the stages. However, paragraphing is somewhat erratic, with the division between paragraphs feeling slightly arbitrary (e.g., separating mid-process stages awkwardly). Referencing and logical progression are occasionally strained by awkward transitions and dense phrasing, but the overall structure remains coherent enough to follow the sequence without severe confusion.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, attempting some less common and process-specific items such as 'accumulation', 'specialized centers', 'compressed', and 'plastic pellets'. However, there are notable word-choice and collocation errors throughout the text, such as 'drop at the their specialized centers', 'falling into massive blades that crushed it', and 'chuted plastic particles into mixture'. These inaccuracies, along with repetitive phrasing and minor lexical awkwardness, prevent the response from achieving a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but grammatical accuracy is a weak point. There are frequent errors in verb forms, subject-verb agreement, and tense consistency, such as 'then it drop at the their', 'those blocks falling', 'that crushed it', 'an heating pellets', and 'raw material that made from it is an amazing or complete changeable format'. These errors occasionally impede readability and distract from the content, though the basic meaning of the steps usually remains discernible. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing around commas and periods.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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