Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-14

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 reproduction of plastic bottles, and producing new products from them

Overall, the process consists of nine stages, plastic bottles have undergone significant process. It goes through different stages such as, sorting the waste, compressing blocks and crushing to make products like cloths and raw material.

Regarding the first stage, people put used plastic bottles into special bins. These bottles are than picked by a recycling truck and transported to recycling center to sorting them. The bottles are separated from unsuitable material and then compressing them into blocks. After compressing them, they are crushed into in to tiny pieces and washed them thoroughly.

In the next step, these small clean pieces are processed to produce plastics pallets. These pallets are heated to form raw material, which is prepared for manufacturing.

Finally, this raw material is used to produce a variety of new products, including plastic bottles, pencils, cloths and plastic bags. These products can be used again and recycled again.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response covers the main stages in the correct order, from bottles being placed in bins through collection, sorting, compression, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating, to the manufacture of new goods. The overview also identifies a nine-stage process and recognises that products can be recycled again, capturing the diagram’s closed loop. These features support a clear account of the task. However, some details are incomplete or imprecise: the sorting stage’s rejection of unsuitable bottles is only briefly mentioned, and the description does not clearly explain that the resulting raw material is packaged before being used to make products. The overview’s claim that bottles undergo a “significant process” is vague. More precise coverage of these features would make the summary more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised into an introduction, an overview and two paragraphs that follow the process from collection to final products. Sequencing phrases such as “Regarding the first stage,” “In the next step” and “Finally” help the reader follow the stages, and the progression is generally clear. The final sentence also links the products back to recycling, reinforcing the cycle. Some connections are less smooth: “After compressing them, they are crushed into in to tiny pieces and washed them thoroughly” combines stages awkwardly, while “These products” could refer more explicitly to the newly manufactured items. Use concise transitions and consistent references to the bottles, plastic pieces, pellets and raw material to make the progression more fluent and precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses relevant process vocabulary, including “sorting,” “compressing,” “crushed,” “washed,” “pellets” and “raw material,” and it names several end products. This gives the account an adequate task-related vocabulary. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or imprecise: “reproduction” does not describe recycling, “plastics pallets” is not the correct term for the small pellets, and “cloths” is not the intended product (a T-shirt or clothing). “Special bins” and “significant process” are also vague. Spelling and word-form slips, including “than” for “then,” reduce precision. Choose standard process terms and check spelling carefully; this will make the description clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

There is some variety in sentence structure, including a relative clause in “which is prepared for manufacturing” and a passive construction in “are heated to form raw material.” Most stages remain understandable despite grammatical errors. However, several sentences contain faulty verb forms or sentence patterns: “the process consists of nine stages, plastic bottles have undergone…” joins two clauses incorrectly, “then picked” should use the correct spelling and form, and “and then compressing them” does not match the surrounding verb structure. The phrase “crushed into in to tiny pieces and washed them” also mixes constructions. Review clause boundaries, parallel verb forms and consistent passive structures when describing a process. Greater control of these patterns would improve accuracy while preserving the useful range already attempted.

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