Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-17

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 nine steps procedure of how plastic bottles are recycled.

Overall, the linear sequence process begins with collecting the bottles through dustbins and ends with producing the final usable things. During this process, bottles are collected, sorted, crushed and other steps involved to make final products.

In the initial stages, the waste bottles are sent to the dustbins. The vehicle has used to collect the bottles and sent to the recycling centre, where bottles are sorted. After sorting, these bottles are compressed in the large blocks and crushed every block by using machine. The crushed material are sent to machine for producing plastic pellets before washing all the material of plastic.

After that, heating process is used to create raw materials and evaporation process use in this stage. In the next stage, raw materials are packed and stored in large packing. Finally, these raw materials are used to produce the plastic products.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the process and provide an overview, noting that bottles are collected and transformed into usable products. The response also includes several relevant stages, such as sorting, compressing, crushing, pellet production and heating. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: the diagram shows bottles being washed after crushing and before they are made into pellets, whereas your account places washing after pellet production. “Evaporation” is not shown, and the final products are made from the raw material rather than directly from “these raw materials” as packed goods. The overview calls the process linear, although the diagram forms a closed loop, with end products leading back to bottle disposal. Covering these features accurately and developing the later stages more clearly would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by stages in sequence, with “In the initial stages,” “After that,” and “Finally” guiding the reader. This gives the report a coherent progression. The paragraphing is also appropriate for separating the overview from the process details. However, some links between stages are confusing, particularly the account of washing and pellet production, and “After that” does not make the sequence sufficiently clear. The repeated use of “these bottles” and “these raw materials” also makes some references less precise. To improve, use stage-specific transitions and ensure each sentence clearly identifies what is being processed and what happens next.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “sorted,” “compressed,” “crushed,” “pellets,” and “raw materials,” which helps communicate the main stages. Some less common terms are attempted, but a few are inaccurate or awkward for this diagram: “dustbins” is less precise than “recycling bins,” “evaporation process” is not an appropriate description of heating the pellets, and “large packing” does not clearly describe the palletised raw material. Phrases such as “final usable things” and “every block” are also imprecise. Aim for accurate process collocations, for example “the material is washed,” “pellets are heated,” and “raw material is packaged on pallets.” This would make the description more precise without requiring unnecessarily complex vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including the overview sentence beginning “Overall” and the clause “where bottles are sorted.” The main stages are generally understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “The vehicle has used to collect” needs a passive form (“is used”), while “The crushed material are sent” has a subject–verb agreement error. In “After sorting, these bottles are compressed in the large blocks,” the article and number pattern is faulty; “into large blocks” is more accurate. The sentence about the crushed material and pellet production also has unclear clause structure. Practise passive constructions, agreement with uncountable nouns, and articles/prepositions in process descriptions. More consistently accurate sentences would improve control.

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