Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-24

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 6.5)

The diagram is an illustration of the all recycling steps of waste plastic. The first and crucial step is to collect plastics from trash which is later transferred to a truck. The truck takes the waste plastic to the recycling centre for sorting in accordance to size and material so that it is easier to refine. In the next step, the plastic is compressed into blocks which gives it a definitive shape and brings all the plastic closer so that it is easier to crush into smaller particles, subsequently, putting them into a grinder. The crushed bits are then washed and fed to a machine which produces plastic pellets and heat is provided to produce raw materials which are later transferred to factories producing bottle, tiffin box, clothes, pencils, bags etc from it. Finally, the perpetuating cycle initiates as people are done using clothes and other necessities which are later thrown into the trash.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main stages from disposal and collection through sorting, processing and the production of new goods, and you recognise that the process is cyclical. The examples of end products—“bottle, tiffin box, clothes, pencils, bags”—are broadly consistent with the diagram. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: sorting is not described as being by “size and material,” and the diagram shows heating pellets to form raw material before that material is used to make products. The overview is also implicit rather than clearly summarising the key features. The final sentence suggests that used clothes and other goods are thrown away, whereas the diagram only shows products returning to the recycling bin. A more precise overview and clearer reporting of the stages would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The stages are presented in a generally logical order, and sequencing expressions such as “The first,” “In the next step,” “subsequently,” and “Finally” help the reader follow the process. This gives the response a coherent overall progression. However, the account is written as one continuous paragraph, and several stages are packed into long sentences, particularly the sentence beginning “The crushed bits are then washed.” This makes the transition from washing to pellet production, heating and the creation of raw material less clear. Some linking is also mechanical, with repeated reliance on step markers rather than grouping the process into clear phases. Use a separate overview and organise the description into stages, while making references such as “it” and “them” unambiguous.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of process vocabulary, including “compressed,” “crushed,” “washed,” “pellets,” and “raw materials,” and these choices communicate the main operations. There are also attempts at more specific phrasing, such as “perpetuating cycle.” However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or informal for this report: “all recycling steps” is awkward, “trash” is less suitable than “waste” or “recycling bin,” and “tiffin box” is not the clearest label for the food containers shown. “Definitive shape” does not accurately describe compression, while “perpetuating cycle initiates” is unnatural. Aim for precise labels from the diagram and conventional process language, such as “the cycle continues” and “the plastic is compressed into blocks.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response includes both simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses with “which,” “so that,” and “as,” and the sequence is usually understandable. Some grammatical errors remain, however. The opening phrase “an illustration of the all recycling steps” has an incorrect article and word order; “the first and crucial step is to collect plastics” also has an awkward singular/plural construction. In “which gives it a definitive shape and brings all the plastic closer,” the pronoun reference and agreement are unclear. The long sentence beginning “The crushed bits are then washed” shifts into the non-finite phrase “putting them into a grinder,” which disrupts the sentence structure. Use shorter, controlled sentences and check articles, agreement, and clause construction while retaining some complex forms.

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