Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The diagram explains the process of how plastic bottles are recycled in the manufacturing company.

Overall, the process is started from the people putting bottles in a recycling basket which is taken to a company. A proper structuring is started after that and ends at producing end products while this whole procedure keeps repeating.

In the begining, used bottles are thrown to a recyling basket which is taken to a recycling factory through a vehicle. Once the used bottles are reached, each person alloted for a task perform their duties. A person structured all the bottles in a right and wrong box as the right ones are to be recycled only and the wrong ones would be those which are not in condition to be recycled. All the bottles are then compressed to make in a square box and after that those are crashed through a crashing machine. While the bottles are bein crashed, a box of water is placed under the crashing machine to wash those parts.

In the next step, after the particles are washed, they are then produced as plastic pallets from another machine. Those pallets are then heated to make it a raw material. As the raw material has been made, the real products are made like watter bottles, tiffin boxes, shirts, pencils or recycling bag which are ready to sell in the market from which again the whole process starts.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main stages in a generally accurate sequence, from bottles being discarded and collected through sorting, compression, crushing, washing, pellet production, heating and the creation of new products. Your overview also identifies the process as repeating, which captures the diagram’s closed loop. Some details are less fully or precisely reported: “a recycling factory” is less exact than the labelled recycling centre, and the sorting explanation that unsuitable bottles are “not in condition to be recycled” is an inference rather than information stated in the diagram. The final products are represented well, although the account could more clearly state that the finished products return to the start of the cycle. A more concise overview and closer adherence to the labels would make the key features more complete and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview and two paragraphs that follow the process from collection to new products. Sequencing expressions such as “In the beginning,” “Once,” “In the next step” and “after that” help the reader follow the stages. The progression is coherent, but some linking is mechanical, and references such as “those parts” and “another machine” are not fully precise. The overview also repeats information about the process starting again, which could be expressed more efficiently. To strengthen cohesion, group related stages more deliberately and use clear references to the bottles, fragments, pellets and raw material rather than relying on general words such as “those.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough process-related vocabulary to communicate the sequence, including “compressed,” “heated,” “raw material” and “end products.” However, noticeable spelling and word-choice problems limit precision: “recyling,” “begining,” “crashed,” “pallets” and “watter” are errors, while “crashing machine” and “recycling basket” are less suitable than the diagram’s terminology. “A box of water” also describes the washing stage inaccurately; “a water bath” would be more natural. Some phrases, such as “a proper structuring,” are awkward and obscure the intended meaning. Build a more accurate range of process vocabulary and check spelling and collocations carefully so that the reader can identify each stage without having to interpret your wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including time clauses such as “Once the used bottles are reached” and a longer sentence beginning “As the raw material has been made.” This gives the account some structural variety, and the main sequence remains understandable. However, several grammatical patterns are not controlled consistently. For example, “the process is started” and “a proper structuring is started” use awkward passive constructions, while “each person … perform their duties” has a subject–verb agreement error. There are also problems with verb forms and sentence construction in “after the particles are washed, they are then produced as plastic pallets.” Aim for direct, accurate clauses—for example, “After washing, the plastic is made into pellets”—and check agreement and tense throughout.

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