The diagram below shows the process for recycling plastic bottles.
This response is estimated at Band 8.0. Can you write a better one?
Write yours and get clear feedback on all four criteria.
- Closest to official scores
- What to fix on each criterion
- Feedback in about 20 seconds · free
Sample Response
The diagram illustrates how plastic bottles are recycled.
Overall, the recycling of plastic bottles is a man-made, cyclical process that consists of disposaluse, collection, sorting, crushing, cleaning, pelletizing, making new plastic products, and reuse.
After plastic bottles are used, they are discarded in recycling bins, waiting for trucks to transport them to a recycling plant. Once there, they are sorted and the suitable bottlesthose that can be reused are compressed into blocks. The blocks are then crushedbroken down by a crushing machine into small pieces, which are subsequently washedcleaned to remove any residue.
The small clean pieces produced after washingproduced in the last stage are then fed into a pellet-making machinepoured into a machine where they are turned into pellets. The machine also heats and melts the pellets, which creates plastic raw material. Finally, the raw material is made into different plastic products, including pens, bottles, and reusable shopping bags. After these products are used, they go through the recycling process all over again.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response gives a clear, logically sequenced account of the complete recycling process, supported by an effective overview and precise stage-by-stage description. The main limitation is slight imprecision in describing sorted bottles as items that can be reused and in compressing the heating and melting stage into the pellet-making machine. Prioritize preserving the diagram's exact stage distinctions and terminology.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The overview identifies the cyclical nature of the process, and the body accurately covers all nine stages from disposal to new products.
Distinguish recyclable bottles from reusable items and describe pellet production and heating as clearly separate stages.
Coherence and Cohesion
The stages are ordered naturally across well-proportioned paragraphs, with cohesive links that make the sequence easy to follow.
Retain this chronological structure while making the transition from cleaning to pellet production even more explicit.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and precise for a process description, including sorting, compressed, residue, pellets, and raw material.
Prefer recyclable or accepted bottles over those that can be reused to match the sorting stage more exactly.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of passive and complex structures is used accurately, with only minor stylistic awkwardness.
Continue varying passive structures while ensuring each machine or stage has an unambiguous grammatical subject.