Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-13

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 process of recycling plastic bottles.

Overall, the process consist of 9 steps. First the plastic is collected from the bins and then transported to the recycling centre. The good quality products are separated. After that it is crushed and washed. Then it is crushed into pellets in a machine, pellets are then heated and converted into raw materials from which various products are made.

Initially, the plastic is thrown into a bin. The truck then collect the plastic and transport it to the recycling centre for sorting. In the third step good quality plastic is separated from the rest. In the fourth step the plastic is compressed into blocks. The blocks are then crushed and are washed.

Furthermore, the crushed plastic is then converted into pellets in the sixth step. In the next step the plastic pellets are then heated. The heated pellets are transformed into raw material. The raw materials are then used to make different type of products and the cycle continues.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response covers the main sequence and gives a clear overview of the recycling loop, including collection, sorting, processing into raw material, and making new products. It also correctly notes that unsuitable plastic is separated and that the cycle continues. This meets the task well, with some features developed more fully than others. However, the description misstates the pellet-making stage: the plastic is made into pellets, not “crushed into pellets,” and the diagram shows the pellets being heated to form raw material. The overview could also identify the loop more explicitly and mention examples of the end products, such as clothing or containers. These omissions and the small process inaccuracy limit fuller coverage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is arranged in a sensible order: an overview is followed by the early stages and then the later stages. Sequencing expressions such as “Initially,” “In the third step,” and “Furthermore” help the reader follow the process, and the paragraphing is appropriate. However, some linking is mechanical because several sentences repeat “then” and “step,” while the overview and body also repeat information without adding much detail. The reference in “After that it is crushed and washed” is slightly unclear because the material is not named again. Use a wider range of transitions and clearer references, and group connected stages into smoother sentences to make progression more natural.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

There is an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “transport,” “sorting,” “compressed,” “pellets,” and “raw material,” which makes the stages generally clear. The writer also avoids relying entirely on basic verbs. Some word choices and collocations are imprecise, however: “good quality products are separated” refers to plastic rather than products, and “crushed into pellets” does not accurately describe the diagram’s pellet-production stage. “Different type of products” is also an inaccurate plural construction in the phrase. More precise process terms and less repetition of “plastic” and “then” would improve flexibility and accuracy. The meaning remains understandable, but these choices prevent consistently precise description.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple sentences and some longer structures, including “The raw materials are then used to make different type of products and the cycle continues.” Most stages are expressed clearly, and passive forms such as “is compressed” and “are washed” suit a process description. Some grammatical errors remain: “the process consist” should be “the process consists,” and “The truck then collect” should be “collects.” There is also a number-agreement error in “different type of products,” which requires “types.” The sentence patterns are somewhat repetitive, so combining clauses more accurately and checking subject–verb agreement and singular/plural forms would strengthen control.

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