Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-04

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 the step-by-step and cyclic process of recycling plastic bottles.

Overall, the plastic recycling is multi-stage process consisting of 9 stages in total. It starts with collecting the plastic bottles and terminates by producing new items. The recycling method is a complex process, invloving human and machine work.

Firstly, the process begins at collecting the waste plastic bottles from the dustbins, by a truck. Later, these bottles are sorted by hands and then are compressed into blocks. Then these blocks are crushed using crusher mahcines, and the bits of plastic fells direclty into washing tank, by which the dirt and dust from plastic is filtered.

The plastic pieces are now used to produce the plastic pellets by a machine. The pellets can be reheated to form raw materail for various products such as bottles, containers, clothes and other items. Finally, the recycled plastic can be used again and again.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by outlining the main features of the plastic bottle recycling process, covering the stages from collection to the production of end products. An overview is successfully provided in the second paragraph, which correctly notes that the process consists of nine stages and involves both human and machine labour. However, certain aspects are under-developed or lack full clarity. For instance, the description of intermediate mechanical stages like crushing and washing is somewhat brief, and the cyclical nature connecting the final stage back to the beginning could have been integrated more seamlessly into the narrative. To reach a higher band, all key steps in the visual data should be described with equal clarity, and the relationship between the raw materials and final products should be explored in greater detail.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response achieves a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical chronological progression that reflects the stages of the diagram. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, overview, body details, and conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Later', 'Then', and 'Finally' are employed to guide the reader through the sequence of events. However, cohesion occasionally feels slightly mechanical, and referencing between sentences could be smoother. The response fully satisfies the requirements of this band and demonstrates clear logical organisation, but to progress further, it would need to employ a wider range of sophisticated cohesive devices and ensure that referencing is entirely natural and unobtrusive throughout.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to successfully describe a technical process. There are commendable attempts to use less common and topic-specific vocabulary such as 'cyclic', 'multi-stage', 'compressing', and 'pellets'. Nevertheless, there are several lexical errors in word choice, spelling, and word form, including 'invloving' instead of 'involving', 'by hands' instead of 'by hand', 'fells' instead of 'falls', 'direclty' instead of 'directly', 'mahcines' instead of 'machines', and 'materail' instead of 'material'. These errors do not impede communication, but they highlight the limitations at this level. To achieve a higher band, the student must expand their range of vocabulary, improve spelling accuracy, and demonstrate more precise control over collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses and passive constructions like 'these bottles are sorted' and 'blocks are crushed'. Grammar and punctuation are generally controlled well enough that meaning is rarely obscured. However, there are notable structural and grammatical inaccuracies throughout the text, such as the incorrect prepositional phrase 'begins at collecting' instead of 'begins with collecting', and awkward phrasing like 'terminates by producing'. Punctuation and article usage also show occasional lapses. To reach a higher band, the writer needs to increase the proportion of error-free complex sentences and demonstrate a tighter command of prepositions and verb patterns associated with process descriptions.

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.