Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-29
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.
Overall, it is a continuous process with nine steps. The main stages are collecting bottles, sorting, crushing, heating, and manufacturing final products.
People throw away bottles they no longer need into bins. Garbage collecting vans then take them recycling centre where they are manually sorted out. The bottles which are unsuitable for recycling are removed. The suitable ones, on the other hand, are compressed into big blocks.
A machine then crushes these large blocks into tiny pieces which are subsequently washed in a big container. Another machine joins in the process and produces plastic pellets which are even smaller. After that, heat is applied on this pellets in order to formed identical-shaped raw material. Finally, these material are used in different factories for producing end products : bottles, boxes, bags, pencils, and shirts. People again thrown away these newly produced bottles when they are become unnecessay and the cycle starts anew.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing an accurate overview and covering the main stages of the plastic bottle recycling process. Key features, such as collection, sorting, crushing, washing, pellet production, and the creation of end products, are reported clearly and in a logical sequence. The response is well-grounded in the provided diagram, and no significant details are omitted or misread. The progression from waste back to reusable material is clearly captured. Therefore, this performance satisfies the requirements for Band 7.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The response is logically organised and easy to follow, with a clear overall progression from the beginning to the end of the recycling loop. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, overview, and body details. Cohesive devices are employed reasonably well to connect the stages, using transition markers such as 'subsequently', 'after that', and 'finally'. However, referencing and transitions in a few places are slightly mechanical or disjointed, as seen in sentences like 'Another machine joins in the process'. These minor limitations place the response firmly in the Band 7 range.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully employing topic-specific terms such as 'recycling centre', 'sorted out', 'compressed into big blocks', and 'plastic pellets'. There are, however, some slight lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as 'garbage collecting vans', 'on this pellets', and 'to formed', along with occasional minor prepositions slips. While less common lexical items are attempted, these minor errors prevent the response from achieving a higher band, making Band 6.0 a fair and accurate assessment.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating a reasonable attempt at structuring sentences correctly. While there are a number of grammatical errors—such as article omissions ('take them recycling centre'), tense inconsistencies ('when they are become unnecessay'), and morphological errors ('these material')—these errors rarely impede communication and the reader can easily follow the description. Because complex structures contain frequent minor errors and control is not fully consistent across all sentences, the performance aligns with Band 6.0 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.