Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-08

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 demonstrates the way plastic bottles are being recycled.

Overall, there are 9 stages involved in recycling the plastic bottles. It is clear that there are many tools and equpments used in this processs.

Initially, plastic waste is collected in a truck from a dustbin which was disposed by human. The waste is transported to the recycling centre where those deposited plastic wastes get sorted. In the fourth stage, compression is applied to the plastic inorder to shape it into blocks.

In the next phase, with the help of crusher, the plastic is crushed into tiny particles. These particles are then washed in a container which has water in it. An equipment, which has capability to grind the plastic into pallets , is used in this process. Then these pallets are then heated to form raw material, where it gets stored in the sliced form. Finally, the required plastic bottles or other products are produced with these pure raw materials.This cycle repeats and produces end products.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the process as a nine-stage cycle and describe its main progression from collection and sorting through processing to the production of new goods. The account includes several accurate details, such as compressing bottles into blocks, crushing and washing them, and heating pellets to create raw material. However, some stages are unclear or inaccurately described: the diagram shows bottles being put into a recycling bin before collection, not waste collected from a dustbin, and the raw material is shown as bound blocks or sacks rather than being stored “in the sliced form.” The overview also focuses on tools and equipment rather than summarising the cycle’s key feature: recycled material is made into new products and returned to use. A more precise overview and clearer treatment of the sorting and final stages would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is arranged in a generally logical sequence, moving from collection to processing and then to the end products. Paragraphing separates the introduction and overview from the stage-by-stage account, and transitions such as “Initially,” “In the next phase,” and “Finally” help guide the reader. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. For example, “Then these pallets are then heated” repeats the transition, while “where it gets stored” has an unclear reference and interrupts the progression from heating to raw material. The overview’s mention of tools and equipment is not developed in the body, so it does not provide a useful organising summary. Use concise sequencing and make each stage’s link to the next explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of process vocabulary, including “transported,” “sorted,” “compression,” “crushed,” and “raw material,” which makes the general sequence understandable. There are also attempts at more specific terms, but several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for this diagram. “Pallets” should be “pellets,” and “sliced form” does not describe the bound raw-material blocks shown. “Dustbin” is less precise than “recycling bin,” while “equipment” and “tools” are vague when the stages can be named directly. Spelling errors such as “equpments” and “processs” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise process nouns and verbs, and check spelling and collocations before finishing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple sentences and more complex forms, including a relative clause in “an equipment, which has capability…” and a time clause in “where it gets stored.” Most stages remain understandable, and errors do not generally prevent the reader from following the process. Some grammatical problems nevertheless affect clarity and control. For example, “which was disposed by human” has an awkward passive construction, and “where it gets stored” does not clearly connect to its intended noun. The sentence “Then these pallets are then heated” contains unnecessary repetition, and punctuation is missing before “This cycle.” Use consistent present simple for a process description, check article and clause construction, and proofread sentence boundaries.

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