Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-10

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 6.5)

The diagram illustrates the recycling process of plastic bottles.

Overall, it is a cyclical process with nine distinct stages. It starts with throwing used plastic bottles into a garbage box to sort and crush them into small plastic pellets. Then, these pellets are heated and converted into useful products like boxes, t-shirts, and bottles.

Firstly, different plastic bottles and bags are thrown into a garbage box by a person. A vehicle, then carry this garbage and shift it to the recycling centre, where sorting of appropriate bottles is done manually. The sorted bottles are compressed into specific-sized blocks and crushed using rolled cutters at both ends.

The crushed pieces of plastic bottles are washed properly in a container. After that, plastic pellets are formed using a machine. Heat is given to these pellets, so raw material is formed. Eventually, the raw material is used to manufacture plastic products, particularly plastic bottles, boxes, t-shirts, and pencils. These products are used by people and recycled by again throwing them as garbage.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response gives a clear overview of the nine-stage cycle, identifying the initial disposal of bottles, their processing into raw material, and the return of finished products to consumers. It also reports the main sequence accurately, including sorting, compression, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating. The examples of end products are mostly supported by the diagram, although “boxes” is less precise than the labelled food containers, and the description could note that unsuitable bottles are rejected during sorting. The overview’s phrase “small plastic pellets” slightly compresses the sequence, since crushing and washing occur before pellets are produced. Overall, the key features are covered and relevant, but a few details are generalised rather than fully specified.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is organised into a brief introduction, an overview and two chronological body paragraphs, so the reader can follow the process from disposal through to reuse. Sequencing expressions such as “Firstly,” “After that,” and “Eventually” help signal progression, and the final sentence closes the cycle. This clear overall arrangement is a strength. However, some linking is mechanical, and the overview compresses several stages into “sort and crush them into small plastic pellets,” which blurs the sequence. The reference in “These products are used by people” is also broad and does not explain the return to the first stage as directly as it could. Use more precise links between each processing stage and vary the transitions to make cohesion smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

There is adequate vocabulary to describe the process, including “compressed,” “crushed,” “pellets,” “raw material” and “manufacture.” These terms help convey the main stages, and the meaning remains clear. However, several choices are imprecise or less natural for a process diagram: “garbage box” is not the usual term for a recycling bin, “shift it” is awkward for transporting waste, and “rolled cutters at both ends” does not clearly describe the crushing machinery. “Specific-sized blocks” is also vague. Aim for more accurate process vocabulary and natural collocations, such as “recycling bin,” “transport the bottles,” and “compressed into blocks.” This would improve precision without requiring more elaborate wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex forms, including the passive constructions “are thrown,” “are compressed,” and “are washed,” which suit a process description. Most sentences communicate the stages clearly, and the sequence of present-tense forms is generally controlled. Some grammatical errors remain. In “A vehicle, then carry this garbage,” the singular subject requires “carries”; the comma after “vehicle” is unnecessary. “Where sorting of appropriate bottles is done manually” is grammatically possible but awkwardly structured, and “recycled by again throwing them” has an unnatural placement of “again.” Try to maintain consistent passive phrasing and check subject–verb agreement and sentence punctuation. These issues do not prevent understanding, but greater accuracy would strengthen the description.

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