Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-21

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 how plastic bottles are recycled through a series of processes.

Overall, it can be seen that used plastic bottles are put in dustbin and then goes through a series of nine steps to be recycled for producing useful products like shirts, bags and pencils etc.

The process of recycling starts by putting the used plastic materials in the dustbin.The used plastic bottles are then caried by a truck to the recycling center for sorting out of eligible materials.The plastic materials are then sorted out from the material brought by truck to remove any other material.

Furthermore, the plastic materials are then compressed into blocks through a compressing machine which is then transferred to the crushing machine for crushing of the blocks.The crushed material is then washed out to produce plastic pellets in the sixth step.

In the next step, pellets produced are heated to form raw material. The raw material is then carried and put in oragnised form. From that raw material different types of products are made like plastic bottles, plastic parcels, shirts, pencils and recycleable hand bags.

From the above discussion, it is concluded that plastic materials goes through nine steps to be recycled and used again for making shirts, pencils and hand bags etc.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response covers the main stages in the correct general order, from disposal and collection through sorting, compression, crushing, washing, pellet production, heating and the manufacture of new items. The overview also identifies the process as a nine-step cycle and gives examples of end products, so the key features are addressed. This is a strong account of the process, but some details are less fully or precisely reported: the sorting stage’s separation of suitable bottles from rejected material is described vaguely, and the raw material stage is reduced to being put in an “organised form.” The final return arrow completing the loop to the recycling bin is also not made explicit. Clarifying these features would make the summary more complete and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is arranged in a sensible sequence, with an introduction, an overview and paragraphs that follow the stages of the diagram. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Furthermore” and “In the next step” help guide the reader, and the process is generally easy to follow. However, some connections are mechanical or repetitive: “The raw material is then…” and “From that raw material…” repeat the same reference, while the concluding sentence restates the overview rather than adding useful information. The long sentence beginning “Furthermore” also packs several stages together, making the progression less clear. Use paragraphing to group related stages and vary references to the materials as they change form.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses relevant process vocabulary, including “compressed,” “crushing,” “pellets” and “raw material,” and these terms help communicate the sequence. However, the range is uneven, with repeated use of “material,” “then” and “products,” and several choices are imprecise or unnatural for this diagram. For example, “dustbin” is less suitable than “recycling bin,” and “plastic parcels” does not accurately name the food containers shown. There are also spelling errors in “caried,” “oragnised” and “recycleable.” These do not prevent understanding, but they reduce precision and control. More accurate process collocations and careful proofreading would strengthen the description.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes both simple sentences and attempts at more complex structures, such as “The raw material is then carried and put…” and “From that raw material different types of products are made…”. The sequence remains understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. In “used plastic bottles are put in dustbin,” an article is needed; “then goes” does not agree with the plural subject “bottles”; and “plastic materials goes” has the same agreement problem. The sentence “The plastic materials are then sorted out from the material brought by truck to remove any other material” is awkwardly structured and unclear about what is being removed. Improve article use, subject–verb agreement and sentence boundaries, while retaining the useful passive forms for describing a process.

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