Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-01

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 the recycling of plastic bottles will be processed.

Overall, the process consists of nine main stages, beginning with throwing used bottles into the recycling bin and culminating in useful bottles and clothes. Broadly speaking, bottles undergo a series of mechanical and physical changes before recycled product is made.

Initially, used bottles is toss in to the recycling bin. This is followed by the pickup of the bottles via garbage trucks. Once this stage has been completed, plastic bottles has been departed to recycling centre where it is sorted. Subsequently, compressing of bottles takes place to turn into blocks.

On the other hand, the compressed blocks then goes through the procedure of crushing the resulting product is then washed. Moreover, after the process of washing these crushed materials are passed through a machine which converts them into plastic pellets. Furthermore, these pellets then heated to make raw material. Finally, raw material is used to produce plastic items and clothes.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by providing an overview and summarising the main stages of the plastic bottle recycling process. The selection of features is generally accurate, tracing the steps from disposal through sorting, crushing, washing, pelletising, and remanufacturing. However, some aspects of the task are developed more fully than others. While the sequence is outlined, certain stages could be elaborated with clearer transitions or more precise descriptions of the physical transformations. The overview correctly identifies the nine main stages and the final end products, meeting the criteria for a clear overall progression. To reach a higher band, the description would need to integrate more detailed comparisons or deeper elaboration on the mechanical processes involved at each turning point.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The text maintains a coherent overall arrangement with a logical progression from the beginning to the end of the recycling loop. Paragraphing is utilised adequately to separate the introduction, initial stages, and subsequent processing steps. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. For instance, the transition "On the other hand" is misused here, as the process is sequential rather than contrasting two opposing ideas. Additionally, referencing is occasionally unclear, such as when pronouns or passive constructions slightly obscure the continuity between steps. Cohesive devices like "Initially," "Subsequently," and "Furthermore" are employed to structure the sequence, but greater precision in linking phrases would enhance the flow and elevate the cohesion to a more natural standard.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items related to industrial processes, such as "recycling centre," "compressing," "crushing," and "plastic pellets." However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward word choices that detract from precision. For example, writing "recycled product is made" lacks specificity, and phrases like "bottles is toss in to" contain errors in word form and collocation. Spelling is generally acceptable, but vocabulary control remains limited to familiar terms. To achieve a higher band, the writer needs to demonstrate a more flexible and precise control of lexical items, using collocation more naturally and avoiding repetitive phrasing when describing cyclical industrial stages.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating passive structures such as "is sorted" and "are passed through a machine." However, there are frequent grammatical errors in subject-verb agreement and verb forms, which prevent the text from achieving a higher score. Examples include "used bottles is toss in to," "plastic bottles has been departed," and "these pellets then heated." Prepositions and article usage also show persistent inaccuracies, such as missing articles before nouns. While these errors rarely impede overall communication because the sequence remains understandable, they occur frequently enough to reflect a standard of control where simple sentences are handled better than complex constructions.

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