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 how plastic bottels are recycled.

Overall, plastic passes through nine main stages starting from throwing the used plastic in the trash can to producing new products, then going through stages like sorting, compressing, crushing, producing plastic pellets and heating to finally produce raw material for manufacturing end products.

In the intial stages, people throw used plastic in the correct recycle trash can then the trash car collects it and delivers it to the recycling centre which takes over the following phases starting with sorting plastics to decide which is suitable to be recycled then compressing it into blocks then crushing and washing in from dust.

After washing the crushed plastic, producting plastic pellets takes a place, after that heating those pellets to form raw material. Packaging the raw material so that it can be used to produce different types of end products such as t-shirts, pencils and plastic bottels once again.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the process as a cycle and give a useful overview, noting that it begins with disposal and ends with products that can re-enter the cycle. The main stages—collection, sorting, compressing, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating—are mostly represented, so the response addresses the task. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: “throwing the used plastic in the trash can” does not specify that bottles go into a recycling bin, and “washing in from dust” does not clearly describe the washing stage. The account also says the raw material is packaged, whereas the diagram shows it as material on a pallet. Clarify these points and describe the sorting decision and the return loop more precisely to make the process fully clear.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall shape: an introduction, an overview, and a description of the early and later stages. Sequencing expressions such as “In the initial stages,” “After washing,” and “after that” help the reader follow the process. The main weakness is that some links between stages are compressed or unclear. For example, “which takes over the following phases” is an awkward reference to the recycling centre, while the final paragraph moves from heating to packaging and end products without clearly showing the raw-material stage or the loop back to bottle disposal. Use one stage per clear clause and make references explicit; this would improve progression without changing the basic organisation.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “sorting,” “compressing,” “crushing,” “plastic pellets,” and “raw material,” which allows you to cover the main stages. There is also some useful variation in describing the sequence. However, several word choices and spelling errors reduce precision: “trash car” is not the correct term for the collection vehicle, “recycle trash can” is an unnatural phrase, and “producting” is not the correct form. “Bottels” and “intial” are also misspelled. Aim for accurate, natural collocations and check spelling carefully. More precise terms for the recycling bin, collection truck, and the material being washed would make the description clearer and more appropriate to an academic process report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple sentences and longer structures, including the overview sentence with “starting from … to …” and the sequence beginning “After washing the crushed plastic.” The meaning is generally recoverable, but some grammatical patterns are incomplete or awkward. The final paragraph contains sentence fragments: “Packaging the raw material…” and “once again” are not integrated into a complete sentence. In “which takes over the following phases,” the relative clause is also difficult to attach clearly. Use complete clauses with an explicit subject and verb, and check how participle phrases connect to the main sentence. More consistent sentence boundaries and clearer clause structure would improve accuracy while preserving your attempt at varied forms.

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