Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-22

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 process diagram illustrates the whole process step by step of how the polyethene base products recycled.

Overall, the process contain three main stages. In the first stage from throw to soring followed by compressing to making of raw plastic beads and in the last stage it demonstrate the process of making a new products out of it.

It begins with the consumers throw used plastic products into their nearby garbage bin which later collected by authorities into the trucks and send to recycling centre. In centre a human separate it into two parts one which can be recycled and another one that can't. In the second stage, sorted plastic products are converted into a giant square block. This block were put into a crusher where it crushes into a small pieces, send into a huge tank for washing. This clean plastic pieces are converted into plastic beads with the help of machines.

In the last stage, These beads were put on heated pellet to convert it into a giant blocks of raw material which can later transform into multiple daily products such as Plastic bottle, food containers, pencils, T-shirt and bags. These products are return back to stores where it can be used and throw again.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You cover the main stages and give a clear overview by grouping the process into three broad phases: collection and sorting, preparation of plastic, and production of new goods. The account follows the diagram from disposal through to end products, and your examples—bottles, food containers, pencils, a T-shirt and bags—are supported by the visual. The description also includes the sorting of recyclable and non-recyclable items. To make the account more precise, distinguish the diagram’s stages more clearly: after washing, plastic is made into pellets, which are then heated to form raw material. The claim that products return to stores is not shown; instead, the diagram indicates that end products feed back into the recycling process. Avoid adding this unsupported detail and state the loop more accurately in the overview.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is arranged in a sensible sequence, with an overview followed by paragraphs describing the early and later stages. Phrases such as “It begins” and “In the last stage” help readers follow the process, and the three-stage grouping gives the account an overall progression. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent organisation and shows some movement towards more flexible sequencing. However, the overview’s compressed list of stages is difficult to follow, and some references are unclear: “This block” is understandable, but “These beads were put on heated pellet” makes the relationship between the pellets and heating stage hard to track. Use clearer links between each stage and consistent references such as “the plastic pieces,” “the pellets,” and “the resulting raw material.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “recycling centre,” “crusher,” “washing,” “plastic beads,” and “raw material,” and the examples of end products help make the description specific. However, the range is limited by repeated general words such as “products,” “stage,” and “process,” while several word choices or forms are inaccurate or awkward: “polyethene base products,” “soring,” “giant square block,” and “heated pellet.” These choices sometimes make the intended meaning less precise, even though the overall process remains understandable. Aim for accurate collocations and terms from the diagram, such as “plastic bottles,” “sorting,” “compressed block,” and “pellets are heated.” Proofread spelling and word forms, and vary repeated nouns where appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, and the sequence is generally understandable. However, control is inconsistent, with frequent errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, plurals, and sentence construction. For example, “the process contain” should be “the process contains,” while “This block were put” needs “This block was put.” The opening “It begins with the consumers throw” also needs a grammatical pattern such as “It begins when consumers throw…”. There are further problems in “These clean plastic pieces are converted” and “These products are return back,” where agreement and verb forms are faulty. Practise building accurate passive sentences for process descriptions, and check each sentence for a clear subject, correctly formed verb, and appropriate singular or plural nouns.

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

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