Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-27

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 given diagram illustrate the process for recycling plastic bottles. Noticeably, the process of recycling plastic bottles not only complex but also systematic.

To begin with, first people put the bottles in the recycling bin. Then, the recycling truck collect the plastic bottles from recycling bin. After that, truck transferred the plastic bottles on the recycling centre in which plastic bottles are sorted by manually. Then, the right plastic bottles compressed into blocks.

In the next step, compressed blocks crushed into the crushing machine. Then, the crushed material washed in a big tank. After that, washed material goes into machine in which plastic pellets are produced. After which, plastic pellets are heated to form raw material. Then, the raw material are packed in a bunch. In the final step, from raw material it produced many things like pencil, recycle bag, clothes and plastic bottles.

Overall, the process of recycling plastic bottle consist of 9 steps, begin with, throwing plasic bottles in recycling bin and ends with final products from recycled raw material.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main sequence from bottles being placed in a bin through collection, sorting, processing and the production of new goods. The overview also identifies the start and end of the cycle, and the examples of pencils, clothing and bottles are grounded in the diagram. However, some details are unclear or imprecise: “the right plastic bottles” does not explain that suitable bottles are separated from rejected items, and “the raw material are packed in a bunch” is not an accurate description of the material shown on a pallet. The closed-loop return from end products to the recycling bin is also not made explicit. Clarifying these features and giving a more precise overview would make the account more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall progression, with the stages presented in the order shown and grouped into paragraphs. Sequencing expressions such as “To begin with,” “After that,” and “In the next step” help the reader follow the process. This meets the lower-band expectation for coherent organisation and shows some of the flexibility associated with stronger cohesion. However, the repeated use of “Then” and “After that” makes the links somewhat mechanical, and the final overview appears after the detailed stages rather than introducing the main pattern. The phrase “In the final step” also suggests a linear ending, although the diagram shows a cycle returning to the first stage. Use more varied linking and make the loop clear in the organisation.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough process-related vocabulary to communicate the main stages, including “sorted,” “compressed,” “crushed,” “washed,” and “heated.” These choices show awareness of the diagram’s technical sequence. However, the range is limited and some wording is inaccurate or awkward: “right plastic bottles” is unclear, “packed in a bunch” does not describe the pallet clearly, and “recycle bag” is not the natural term for the carrier bag shown. There is also a spelling error in “plasic.” These noticeable word-choice and spelling problems keep the description from being consistently precise. Aim for accurate process collocations and use the diagram’s labels where they provide a clear, natural option.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple sentences and longer clauses, for example, “After that, truck transferred the plastic bottles on the recycling centre in which plastic bottles are sorted by manually.” This shows some structural variety, but control is uneven. Errors include subject–verb agreement in “the diagram illustrate” and “the recycling truck collect,” missing articles in “in recycling bin,” and passive constructions that omit the auxiliary, as in “compressed blocks crushed.” The sentence “the process … not only complex but also systematic” also needs a verb. These errors sometimes make the process descriptions harder to read, although the intended sequence is generally recoverable. Practise accurate passive forms and agreement, then check each sentence for a complete verb phrase.

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