Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-18

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 for recycling plastice bottles.

Overall, the process consists of nine stages starting with dumping plastic bottles in a recycling bin and culminating in production of end products. It is a cyclic process, which includes compressing, crushing and heating processes.

The first step is putting plastice bottles in a recycling bin. It is then collected by a recycling truck. The truck drops it at the recycling center where it is sorted. The bottles are then compressed into a giant block. The block is then crushed into pieces and the pieces are washed.

Moreover, the washed pieces are added into a machine to produce plastic pallets. The pallets are then heated until they convert into raw material. The raw material is then used to produce end products such as lunch boxes, shirts, pencils and bags.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main sequence accurately, from placing bottles in a bin through collection, sorting, compression, crushing, washing and conversion into raw material and new products. The overview also correctly notes nine stages and the cyclical nature of the process. However, some features are less fully reported: the sorting stage’s separation into accepted and rejected bottles is omitted, and the final products are only partly represented (the diagram also shows food containers and a carrier bag). The response is 12 words below the required minimum, which limits the opportunity to describe these details. Add a little more precise information about sorting and the loop back to the bin.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is arranged in a clear overview followed by a chronological account, and the stages are generally easy to follow. Sequencing phrases such as “The first step,” “It is then,” and “Moreover” help connect the information, while the progression from collection to end products is logical. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent overall organisation and shows some of the flexibility associated with stronger cohesion. However, “Moreover” suggests an additional point rather than the next stage in a process, and repeated use of “then” makes some links mechanical. The final sentence could also make the cycle explicit by noting that new products can return to the recycling bin. Use varied, precise sequencing links and clearer references to the materials at each stage.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “compressed,” “crushed,” “washed,” “heated,” and “raw material,” which communicates the main stages clearly. There are also relevant terms such as “recycling bin” and “end products.” Some spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision: “plastice” is misspelled, and “pallets” should be “pellets” for the small plastic pieces produced by the machine. “Giant block” is understandable but less precise than “compressed block,” while “lunch boxes” is not the label shown in the diagram. These inaccuracies do not prevent understanding, but careful proofreading and more exact process vocabulary would strengthen the description.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex forms, including the overview clause “which includes compressing, crushing and heating processes” and passive constructions such as “The bottles are then compressed.” These structures suit a process description, and the sequence remains understandable. Some grammatical choices are less controlled. In “The truck drops it,” the singular pronoun is unclear after referring to bottles; use “them” or “the bottles.” “The first step is putting plastic bottles…” is understandable, but a more consistently formal construction would be “The process begins with bottles being placed…”. The response relies heavily on short, similarly structured sentences, so combine some stages using accurate participle or relative clauses. Overall, errors are present but rarely obstruct meaning.

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

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