Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The diagram illustrates the process of making a biofuel named ethanol .

Overall, ethanol making process consists of four main steps. The process starts with harvesting grown plants and trees and later used the produced ethanol as fuel in vehicles which creates carbon dioxide and later acts as the energy sourc

for the plants to grow up.

First, the plants and trees grow using carbon dioxide and sunlight as there primary energy source. Then harvested grown plants go through a pre process which converts them into cellulose. These cellulose are used in the main step to create sugars and with added microbes the ethanol has been produced.

Ethanol are used as fuel for transportations such as car, airplane and truck which make carbon dioxide, the necessary elelment for plants and trees to grow up and start the circle again with harvesting.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as cyclical and include its main stages, from plant growth and harvesting through cellulose, sugars and ethanol to transport use and carbon dioxide returning to plants. This gives a relevant account, but some details are unclear or inaccurate: the overview says there are “four main steps,” although the diagram shows a longer sequence, and “later used the produced ethanol as fuel” does not clearly describe the stages. The account also omits that ethanol is used by cars, trucks and aeroplanes as three transport modes, and the role of microbes could be stated more precisely. The response is 141 words, below the required 150. Add a little more accurate detail and clarify the overall cycle to cover the task more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear basic structure: an introduction, an overview and two paragraphs describing the stages. Sequencing words such as “First,” “Then” and “with added microbes” help the reader follow the process, and the final sentence returns to the cycle. However, some links between stages are compressed or unclear. For example, “These cellulose are used in the main step to create sugars” does not clearly distinguish processing from the resulting sugars, while the overview’s “later used” construction makes the sequence difficult to follow. The conclusion also joins several ideas in one long sentence. Use one sentence per key transition and clearer references to each stage to make progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvesting,” “cellulose,” “microbes,” “ethanol” and “carbon dioxide,” which allows you to describe the main subject. However, the range is limited and several choices or forms are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “ethanol making process,” “pre process,” “fuel for transportations” and “energy sourc.” These reduce precision, even though the general meaning is usually recoverable. Aim for standard process collocations and accurate spelling, and avoid repeating “grow up,” which is not the natural expression for plants. More precise terms for conversion and transport use would make the description clearer and more appropriate to an academic process report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a relative clause in “which creates carbon dioxide” and a sequence linked with “Then.” However, errors in agreement, verb forms and sentence construction remain noticeable. For example, “Ethanol are used” should use a singular verb, and “the ethanol has been produced” is an awkward tense choice for describing a diagrammed process. In “The process starts with harvesting grown plants and trees and later used…,” the grammatical subject and verb structure are not parallel, making the meaning harder to follow. Articles and plurals also need attention in phrases such as “These cellulose.” Practise describing stages with consistent present simple forms and check subject–verb agreement.

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