Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-06

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

 

The diagram below shows how a biofuel called ethanol is produced.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 6.0)

The diagram illustrates the biofuel production which is how ethanol is made, this production includes various steps.

This process of biofuel production consists of various steps which begins with energy being absorbed by plants and trees in the form of sunlight and carbon dioxide through photosynthesis, and culminates when sugar is added with microbes to produce ethanol.

After the photosynthesis is done, the harvesting is done of plants and trees. The next step is the pre- processing to convert it into celluslose. Later, the cellulose are processed to create sugar. Lastly, ethanol is produced by adding microbes in sugar. Futhermore, the ethanol is used as a fuel in motor vehicles like cars and trucks. Then, these vehicles cause carbon emission in the environment, this carbon dioxide will again be absorbed by plants. This process is never ending, ethanol is made from carbon dioxide and burning this also creates carbon dioxide

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main stages from plant growth and harvesting through pre-processing, cellulose, processing, sugars and ethanol, and you recognise the overall carbon-dioxide cycle. This covers the central process, but some features are reported less fully than others. In particular, the diagram shows ethanol being used by a car, truck and aeroplane, whereas you mention only cars and trucks. The opening description of sunlight and carbon dioxide being absorbed through photosynthesis is relevant, but the final explanation that ethanol is made from carbon dioxide is an overgeneralisation: the diagram shows plants using carbon dioxide, with cellulose converted into sugars and then ethanol. A more precise overview and fuller coverage of the transport and emissions stages would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The stages are presented in a broadly logical order, and sequencing expressions such as “The next step” and “Later” help the reader follow the process. You also move from production to fuel use and then back to plant growth, reflecting the cycle. However, the response is arranged as only two paragraphs, with the second carrying nearly all the detail, and several links feel repetitive or mechanical, including repeated use of “step” and “Then.” The sentence beginning “Then, these vehicles cause carbon emission…” joins related ideas with a comma, making the relationship less clear. Group the production stages separately from fuel use and the carbon cycle, and use clearer sentence boundaries and more varied linking.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of process vocabulary, including “harvesting,” “pre-processing,” “cellulose,” “microbes” and “carbon dioxide,” which allows the main stages to be understood. Some word choices and spelling errors, however, reduce precision: “celluslose” is misspelled, “sugar” is used where “sugars” matches the diagram, and “carbon emission” is less accurate than “carbon dioxide emissions.” Phrases such as “the harvesting is done of plants and trees” and “sugar is added with microbes” are also awkward collocations. Aim for concise, natural process language—for example, “the plants are harvested” and “microbes are added to the sugars”—and check technical terms and plural forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

There is a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the overview clause “which begins with…” and the sequence of stages described in the final paragraph. The main meaning is generally clear, but some grammatical errors remain. The opening sentence is a comma splice: “The diagram illustrates…, this production includes…”. There are also agreement and construction problems in “the cellulose are processed” and “ethanol is produced by adding microbes in sugar.” The phrase “After the photosynthesis is done” is an awkward passive construction, while “this carbon dioxide will again be absorbed” shifts into the future without a clear reason. Use direct passive forms consistently, such as “the cellulose is processed” and “microbes are added to the sugars,” and separate complete clauses with appropriate punctuation.

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