Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-07

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 process of manufacturing a biofuel known as ethanol.

overall production of ethanol is carried out through different phases which include from growing and harvesting of plants to manufacture ethanol.

so in the first phase trees are planted and they took energy from sunlight and carbon dioxide. Then the plants are harvested and some sort of preprocessing is done on the harvested material and its converted into a material known as cellulose. Then that cellulose is processed in laboratories and converted into sugars. After that microbes are added in those sugars to produce actual Ethanol. Then that ethanol is used Automobiles, transport vehicles and in airplanes as a source of fuel. Afterwards that burnt ethanol is trnasformed into carbon dioxide which goes into the atmosphere. And it again forms a cycle where that produced carbon dioxide and sunlight helps in growth of plants which produce ethanol again.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main stages from plant growth through processing and fermentation to ethanol use, and you identify the important cyclical relationship between carbon dioxide and new plant growth. The sequence of cellulose becoming sugars and microbes being added is also reported accurately. However, some details are less fully or precisely described: the diagram shows plants and trees growing with sunlight and carbon dioxide, rather than being planted, and it does not specify that processing occurs in laboratories. The final stage is described as carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere, whereas the diagram shows emissions from transport returning towards the plants. A more precise overview and closer attention to what the diagram actually depicts would make the account more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response follows the process in a generally logical order, and sequencing expressions such as “Then,” “After that,” and “Afterwards” help the reader follow the stages. The final sentence also connects the emissions back to plant growth, making the cycle clear. However, the account is presented as one continuous paragraph, and several transitions are repetitive or mechanical. The opening overview is brief and does not clearly distinguish the production stages from the later use and recycling of carbon dioxide. Organising the response into a short introduction and overview followed by a clearly sequenced description of the stages would improve progression. Use linking phrases selectively and make references such as “that produced carbon dioxide” more direct.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “harvested,” “preprocessing,” “cellulose,” “processed,” and “microbes,” which allows you to describe the main stages. Terms such as “source of fuel” and “forms a cycle” also communicate the diagram’s broad meaning. Some word choices are imprecise or awkward, however: “manufacturing” is less suitable than “production” for this natural process, and “some sort of preprocessing” sounds vague. “Actual Ethanol” is also an informal way to describe the product. There are spelling and form slips, including “trnasformed,” and inconsistent capitalisation of “Ethanol.” Aim for precise process collocations and proofread spelling and capital letters.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple sentences and longer structures, including the sequence “After that microbes are added in those sugars to produce actual Ethanol,” so there is some variety. The stages remain understandable despite some grammatical errors. For example, “overall production of ethanol is carried out through different phases which include from growing…” has an awkward clause structure; “which include” should introduce a noun or gerund phrase without “from.” In “that ethanol is used Automobiles,” the passive construction needs a preposition and an article or plural form. There are also tense and agreement problems in “they took energy” and “carbon dioxide and sunlight helps.” Improve control of articles, prepositions, agreement, and sentence boundaries while retaining the useful range of structures.

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