Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-07

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 illustration gives information about the recycling process of plastic bottles and how from these new products are formed. Overall, recycling process involve nine steps and heating is involve in one step to produce raw material which is basic source of producing end products.

It is quite evident from the diagram that that someone is throwing plastic bottle into dustbin, with the help of truck these waste disposal is transferred to the recycling centre, where sorting is done. After arranging all these they compressed into block and these blocks are crushed with the help of crushing machine and the crushed parts fall into water tank where washing is done.

Furthermore, these washed parts are used to produce pellets of desired size with the help of pellet machine. However, heating is also involved to change these pellets into raw material. Thus, this material is used to produce new prooduts like T-shirts, lead pencila and plastic bags. All these steps should occur in sequence if one step is messed up end product should not be recieved.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main stages in the correct order, from disposal and collection through sorting, compression, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating, and you identify the overall purpose of turning bottles into new products. The overview also notes the nine-step process and the role of heating. This gives the response a clear account of the central process. However, some important features are less fully reported: the diagram shows sorting out unsuitable bottles, and the final products include food containers as well as clothing, pencils and a carrier bag. The claim that a step being “messed up” means the end product will not be received is not shown in the diagram. A more complete overview and closer selection of visual details would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: it begins with an overview, then describes the early stages, and uses “Furthermore” and “Thus” to move towards the outputs. The sequence is generally easy to follow, and the paragraph breaks help distinguish the overview from the process description. Some linking is mechanical or imprecise, however. “After arranging all these” does not clearly identify what is being arranged, while “However” introduces heating even though it is the next stage rather than a contrast. The final comment about a step being “messed up” interrupts the process sequence and is not supported by the diagram. Use clearer stage-to-stage links and keep the description focused on the visual sequence to make progression more consistently smooth.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “sorting,” “compressed,” “crushed,” “pellets,” “raw material” and “end products,” which allows the reader to understand the main stages. There is also some attempt at varied phrasing, such as “with the help of” and “involved.” However, the range and control are uneven: “dustbin,” “waste disposal” and “desired size” are not precise descriptions of the diagram, and “new prooduts” and “lead pencila” contain spelling errors. Repetition of “produce” and “material” also limits flexibility. Choose accurate process collocations such as “recycling bin,” “collected by a truck” and “manufacture finished products,” and proofread spelling. More precise vocabulary would make the account clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “where sorting is done” and a conditional structure in the final sentence. The stages remain broadly understandable, but grammatical control is inconsistent, particularly in longer sentences. Examples include “recycling process involve nine steps,” “heating is involve,” and “these waste disposal is transferred,” where agreement or verb forms are incorrect. Articles and sentence construction also need attention in “throwing plastic bottle into dustbin” and “After arranging all these they compressed into block.” The repeated “that that” and missing punctuation after introductory phrases further affect accuracy. Practise forming complete passive clauses for process descriptions and check subject–verb agreement, articles and verb forms; this would make your varied structures more reliable.

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