Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-01

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 provides information of how plastic bottles are recycled into other beneficial products, step by step. To recycle the bottles, they go through nine different steps.

First and foremost, the wated bottles are thrown by the citizens in the garbage cans. From the garbage, the bottles are transferred in a recycling centre with the help of a truck. After that, the bottles are sorted in that centre, where the recylable bottles are being separated from non-recyclable ones. In the next step, the recyclable bottles are compressed into big blocks. Furthermore, the blocks go through big machines where they got crushed and then washed.

6th step contains the producing of plastic pellets with the help of machines. These pallets then go through a heating process to form raw material. Raw material from the pallets are then arranged properly. In the final step, this raw material is utilized to make numerous products like pencils, shirts, shopping bags, lunch boxes, bottles etc.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main sequence from disposal through collection, sorting, processing and the production of new goods, and your opening identifies the process as having nine steps. The distinction between recyclable and non-recyclable bottles is also accurately included. However, some stages are reported less precisely: the bottles are put in a recycling bin, not simply “garbage cans,” and the diagram shows the finished raw material being made into end products, with arrows returning the process to the start. Your account does not mention this closed-loop feature, which is an important overall characteristic. The overview is also limited to saying there are nine steps; summarising the transformation from discarded bottles into reusable material and products would make the main features clearer.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The stages are presented in a generally logical order, and sequencing phrases such as “After that,” “In the next step,” and “In the final step” help the reader follow the process. The response also moves from collection to sorting and then to later processing without major disruption. This gives it a coherent overall arrangement. To make the progression more consistently clear, use paragraphing to separate an overview from the detailed stages, and avoid relying so heavily on step-by-step markers. “6th step contains” is an abrupt transition and does not connect smoothly to the preceding account; a linking phrase such as “The resulting plastic is then…” would improve cohesion. Clearer reference to what “these pallets” and “this raw material” refer to would also help.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “sorted,” “compressed,” “crushed,” “washed,” “pellets,” and “raw material,” which allows you to describe most stages. There is some useful variety in phrases such as “go through a heating process” and “utilized to make.” However, several word choices or spellings reduce precision: “wated” and “recylable” are misspelled, while “pallets” is confused with “pellets,” changing the meaning. “Garbage cans” and “beneficial products” are less precise for this diagram, and “big machines” is vague. Aim for accurate process terms and natural collocations, such as “recycling bin,” “recyclable bottles,” and “large blocks.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “where the recyclable bottles are being separated” and a purpose phrase in “to form raw material.” Most of the process remains understandable despite some grammatical inaccuracies. For greater control, check tense and agreement: “the blocks … got crushed” should use a consistent passive form, such as “are crushed,” and “Raw material … are then arranged” has a singular subject that requires “is.” The phrase “6th step contains the producing” is also structurally awkward; write “In the sixth step, plastic pellets are produced.” More consistent use of the present simple passive would suit a process description and reduce these errors.

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