The diagram below shows the process for recycling plastic bottles.
Sample Response
The process diagram illustratesmeticulously delineates the nine-stage process involved in recycling plastic bottles - beginning with consumers placing them in designated recycling binsdiscarding them in the designated bins and culminating in the production of new plastic productsnew consumer plastic products.
Overall, plastic bottle recycling is a circular system in which used bottleswhere used bottles are transformed into raw materials for a variety of new items, which can then be recycled again.
Plastic bottle recycling begins with consumers depositing used plastic bottles into designated recycling bins. These bottles are subsequently collected and transported to a recycling plant. Upon arrival, the bottles undergo a crucial sorting phase in which workers manually separate recyclable bottlesplastics from other waste. Following this, the sorted bottles are compressed into compact blockslarge, compact blocks, which are then fed into crushing machines. This mechanical breakdown yields small plastic fragments.
These fragments are thoroughly washed Deleteto ensure purity before being introduced into a machine that produces plastic pellets. In the next stage, these pellets are subjected to heat, forming the raw material essential for manufacturing a range of plastic productsa diverse range of plastic-based goods. Finally, these refined raw materials are rolled out to produce various end products, such as t-shirts, pens, and new plastic bottles or containers, thus completing the cycle as these products will eventually be recycled once again.
Why this response received Band 8.5
The response gives a comprehensive, logically sequenced account of the recycling cycle and accurately captures the nine main stages, supported by a clear overview. Its main limitation is occasional overstatement or imprecise wording, such as describing the raw materials as being rolled out, which the diagram does not show as a separate action. The highest-priority improvement is to keep every process verb strictly tied to the visual evidence.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
All nine stages are covered in the correct order, and the overview accurately identifies the process as a cycle.
Describe the raw material as being used to make the end products without adding the unsupported action rolled out.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response progresses smoothly from collection to new products, with clear paragraphing and well-managed referencing.
Keep the final stage slightly more concise so the close of the sequence remains as direct as the earlier stages.
Lexical Resource
A broad and generally precise process vocabulary is used flexibly throughout the description.
Prefer neutral visual-reporting language over evaluative or ornate choices such as meticulously and crucial.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex structures are handled with strong control, and the response is virtually free of grammatical errors.
Maintain this accuracy while simplifying the occasional heavily modified sentence for maximum clarity.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The diagram below shows the process for recycling plastic bottles.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.