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 illustrates the proccess of how plastic bottles are recycled.

Overall, this diagram shows the process of using plastic bottles to make useful products. It takes 9 steps to recycles plastic bottles from collecting them to producing products.

First of all, plastic bottles are collected from trash then transported these bottles to recycling centre. In recycling centre, bottles are tested in which useless bottles are rejected. After that, chosen bottles are compressed into blocks. Then, these blocks are cruched into small pieces and throw them into water for washing.

After being washed, these particles are used to produce plastic pellets by a machine. In the next step, these pellets are .eated to form raw material. Then the raw material is collected in a safe place. After being stored in a place, the raw material is used to make useful products or items. In this way, plastic bottles can be reused

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main sequence from collection and sorting through processing to the production of new items, and your overview correctly identifies the recycling process and its end purpose. Most stages are reported in the right order, including compression, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating. Some details, however, are less fully or precisely described: the diagram shows a collection truck, sorting into accepted and rejected bottles, and the raw material being made into products such as containers, clothing and pencils. “Collected in a safe place” is not shown; instead, the raw material is depicted as bundled on a pallet. To strengthen the response, report these visual details accurately and make the closed-loop return from end products to the recycling bin explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by the stages in sequence, with a paragraph break separating the early and later processing. Sequencing phrases such as “First of all,” “After that,” and “In the next step” help the reader follow the process. The progression is generally logical, though the repeated “After being…” constructions make some links feel mechanical, and “After being stored in a place” repeats the preceding idea rather than advancing the description. The final sentence also does not clearly connect the products back to the first stage, despite the diagram’s loop. Use a wider range of concise links and clearer references to show how the cycle returns to bottle collection.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “compressed,” “crushed,” “particles,” “pellets,” and “raw material,” which helps describe the stages. However, the range is limited in places by repetition of general words such as “useful products,” “place,” and “bottles,” and some choices are imprecise: the diagram shows raw material on a pallet, not being “collected in a safe place.” There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “proccess,” “cruched,” and “.eated,” which reduce the accuracy and polish of the description. Aim for precise process terms and check spelling carefully; for example, distinguish “sorting” from “testing” and describe the final items as specific end products.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mixture of simple sentences and some more complex forms, including “After being washed, these particles are used…” and “In this way, plastic bottles can be reused.” The sequence is usually understandable, but some grammatical errors remain. In “then transported these bottles to recycling centre,” the passive construction is incomplete and the article is missing; “are tested in which useless bottles are rejected” is also an awkwardly formed clause. The phrase “it takes 9 steps to recycles” has an incorrect verb form, and “throw them into water” shifts from passive description to an unclear active subject. Use consistent passive forms for this process and check verb patterns, articles and clause structure. More accurate complex sentences would improve control.

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