Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The following diagram illustrates the process for recycling plastic bottles.

Overall, the process of recycling plastic bottle consists of 9 stages, begining from the stage when the bottles are thrown, the transformation of plastic and the methods used.

The recycling process stage one begins in the moment bottles get thrown in the recycle bins by individuals, after the bin become full of bottles, the waste truck arrives to collect them (stage 2). Following this, the truck releases the bottle at the recycling centre which does the job of sorting the plastic bottles in the correct bins for recycling (stage 3). Furthermore, the bottles gets compressed into blocks (stage 4). The newly formed blocks get crushed using saw machines which release the bottles crushed into pieces inside a big pool of water (stage 5). The next stage is the production of plastic pellets in an electronic machine (stage 6). These formed pellets get heated to form raw materials (stage7). At this stage the raw materials get its known form (stage 8). After going through all these recycling stages, companies produce end products that we all know, such as plastic bottles, shirts, pencils, and plastic lunch boxes.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as a nine-stage cycle and describe most of its main stages, from depositing bottles to producing new items. The examples of end products and the sequence through sorting, compression, crushing, washing, pellets and raw material are relevant. However, the overview is unclear: “the transformation of plastic and the methods used” does not summarise the key feature that the process loops back to bottle disposal. Some details are also inaccurate or vague. The diagram shows sorting into accepted and rejected items, but this distinction is not explained; “saw machines” is not supported by the visual, and stage 8 is raw material rather than material taking its “known form.” Make the overview more precise and report the recycling loop and sorting outcome accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The stages are generally presented in a logical order, and sequencing expressions such as “Following this,” “Furthermore,” and “The next stage” help the reader follow the process. The response also separates its introduction and overview from the detailed account. This gives it a coherent overall arrangement. However, the overview is not clearly distinguished from the process description, and the final sentence does not explicitly connect the end products back to the start of the cycle. Some linking is mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “stage” and “get,” while references such as “At this stage” do not clearly explain what happens to the raw material. Use clearer paragraphing and more precise links between stages, including the return arrow to the beginning.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “sorting,” “compressed,” “crushed,” “pellets,” and “raw materials,” and the examples of products help convey the diagram’s content. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for this process. “Saw machines” misidentifies the crushing equipment, “big pool of water” is an imprecise description of the washing stage, and “the raw materials get its known form” does not clearly express the diagram’s meaning. There is also repetition of “bottles” and “stage,” and “recycle bins” is less suitable than “recycling bins.” Aim for precise process terms and natural collocations so that the description is both clear and accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes both simple sentences and longer clauses, for example, “Following this, the truck releases the bottle at the recycling centre which does the job of sorting…” This shows an attempt to vary sentence structure, and the overall meaning is usually understandable. However, errors occur in verb forms, agreement, articles and sentence construction. In the overview, “consists of 9 stages, begining” needs a consistent grammatical form, while “the bottles gets compressed” has a subject–verb agreement error. “After the bin become full” also has incorrect agreement, and “the raw materials get its known form” has a mismatch between plural subject and pronoun. Check agreement and verb forms carefully, and simplify clauses when needed to maintain accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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