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 depicts the procedure of reusing plastic bottles.

Overall, the process consist of nine subsequent stages starting from throwing the material into bin and ending with getting the pure refined products for use. The process undergoes through varios stages including compressing and crushing.

First, people threw plenty of daily use items in public bin. Next, this garbage is moved from bin to recycling trucks they took it to recycling centre in second stage.Following this, these items are sorted and the employ remove those items which can't be recycled this leads to compressing of these materials into square shape blocks. These are further moved into two circular machines for crushing purpose. Later on the crushed pieaces are washed in a rectangular container.

In the sixth stage, these cleaned small pieaces are then moved to a larger size machine to form plastic pellets. After that, the plastic pallets were heated to formed raw materials. Then, these raw materials are stored in a warehouse in a larger quantity. Finally, the finished raw material is manufactured into clothing and daily use products such as T-shirt , plastic bags, stationery and bottles.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main stages in the correct general order, from disposal and collection through sorting, compression, crushing, washing, pellet production and the creation of new goods. The overview also identifies the process as a sequence and highlights compression and crushing. This is a relevant account of the diagram, though some details are less fully or precisely reported: the opening says “pure refined products,” which is not a feature shown, and the description of the sorting stage could clarify that unsuitable bottles are separated before the recyclable material continues. The final examples are broadly accurate, but “stationery” is less specific than the diagram’s pencils. To strengthen the response further, make the overview more exact and report the recycling loop, including that end products can return to the recycling bin.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall shape: an introduction and overview are followed by the early stages and then the later stages. Sequencing expressions such as “First,” “Next,” “Following this,” and “Finally” help the reader follow the process. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical, and the long second paragraph packs several stages into one sentence, making the links less clear. For example, “these items are sorted and the employ remove those items which can't be recycled this leads to compressing” needs clearer sentence boundaries and a more explicit connection between sorting and compression. The missing space after “stage.” also disrupts presentation. Use shorter, well-punctuated sentences and group stages into paragraphs to make progression smoother and references clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “compressing,” “crushing,” “plastic pellets,” and “raw materials,” which helps convey the diagram. There is some variety in how you describe the stages, but word choice and spelling are often inaccurate or unnatural, limiting precision. Examples include “varios,” “pieaces,” and “pallets”; the last also risks confusing plastic pellets with pallets. Phrases such as “larger size machine,” “in a larger quantity,” and “finished raw material” are not natural or precise in this context. Aim for accurate process collocations and check spelling carefully. More precise terms such as “recyclable items,” “pellet-making machine,” and “new products” would make the description clearer without requiring unnecessarily complex vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a relative clause in “those items which can't be recycled” and sequencing clauses that describe successive stages. However, errors in tense, agreement, articles and sentence boundaries are noticeable. For example, “the process consist” should use subject–verb agreement, while “the plastic pallets were heated to formed” has an incorrect verb form. Tense also shifts between “people threw” and “this garbage is moved,” although the process is generally described in the present simple. The sentence beginning “Following this” runs several ideas together without adequate punctuation. Use the present simple consistently for a process, check verb forms and agreement, and separate linked stages into complete sentences.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.