Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-03

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 illustrate the process of how plastic bottles are recycled and explain the process through nine different steps.

Overall, plastic bottles are recycled easily for the benefit of the citizen in the form of raw material and converted it into clothing, bag, pencil, bottle or container, etc. This is a helpful and important waste management strategy for the society.

The process explain the different stages that trashes from the bin are collected which was thrown by the public and then brought into the recycling centre, sorting out the plastic bottles and other waste products. The bottles are then compressed hard enough into blocks respectively and again crushing the blocks into pieces. After the crushing, the pieces are washed and transfer into the machine producing plastic pellets. The pellets are heated by giving heats and formed raw materials for different products. This is the steps for recycling waste management such as plastic bottles into useful and productive for the society. The raw materials are uses for producing end products like clothes, container, bottle, stationery items and bags.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main stages in the correct order, from public disposal and collection through sorting, compression, crushing, washing, pellet production and heating, to raw material and end products. The overview also identifies the cycle and its purpose, and your examples of products broadly match the diagram. This meets the task well, with some detail already approaching a fuller account. However, a few points are unclear or imprecise: “trashes from the bin” does not distinguish recyclable bottles from items rejected during sorting, and the diagram’s return arrow from end products to the start is not explained. The overview also adds general claims about benefits to society rather than focusing on the process. Clarifying the sorting outcome and explicitly describing the closed loop would strengthen coverage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview and a paragraph describing the stages. The sequence is generally easy to follow, supported by transitions such as “Overall,” “then,” “After the crushing” and “The raw materials.” However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical, and the final paragraph repeats the purpose of recycling rather than adding a distinct concluding feature. Some references are also unclear: “This is the steps” does not connect smoothly to the preceding stages, while “which was thrown by the public” makes the relationship between the bottles and the bin difficult to follow. Grouping the stages into clearer phases and using more precise references would improve progression and reduce repetition.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “compressed,” “crushing,” “washed,” “pellets,” “raw materials” and “end products,” which helps communicate the sequence. There is also some variety in how you describe the stages. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “recycled easily,” “giving heats,” “productive for the society” and “stationery items” for the products shown. “Trashes” is also an unsuitable choice for the bottles and other waste. These errors make the vocabulary less precise, although the main meaning remains understandable. Aim for standard process collocations and use the diagram’s specific terms, such as “recyclable bottles,” “heat the pellets” and “plastic products.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, and the stages are usually understandable. However, errors in agreement, verb forms and sentence construction occur often enough to limit clarity. For example, “The diagram illustrate” needs subject–verb agreement, while “The process explain” has the same problem. In “The pellets are heated by giving heats and formed raw materials,” the passive construction is incomplete and the relationship between heating and forming is unclear. “This is the steps” also has a singular–plural mismatch, and “The raw materials are uses” uses an incorrect verb form. Practise accurate present-simple descriptions and passive forms, such as “The pellets are heated to form raw material,” before adding longer clauses.

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