Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-09

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)

How ethanol is produced. In this diagram we can see how plants and trees grown by using energy which in this case is sunlight plus carbon dioxide. Once the plantas and trees have harvested they are collected and start the pre-processing stage where the feedstock becomes in cellulose to be process later and become in sugars after this process a serie of microbes are added and in this stage is where the ethanol is produced. After this process the ethanol is using as a biofuel for aerplanes, trucks and vehicles.The result of using Ethanol as a biofuel is carbon dioxide, which is released as part of the process of consume of energy. This us carbon dioxido goes tu the atmosphera and is integraded in the biofuel production when the plants start to the photointesis process. Thanks to this process plants and trees are able to become carbon dioxide in oxygen.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main stages from plant growth through harvesting, pre-processing, processing, sugar production and the addition of microbes, and you identify ethanol’s use as a fuel and the return of carbon dioxide to the plants. This gives the reader a relevant account of the cycle. However, some details are unclear or not fully grounded in the diagram: it does not state that plants turn carbon dioxide into oxygen, and the description of cellulose becoming sugars “after this process” does not clearly distinguish the processing stage. The overview would also be stronger if it explicitly highlighted the circular nature of production and carbon dioxide reuse. Clarify the sequence and avoid adding information not shown in the visual.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows the general order of the process, using sequence markers such as “Once,” “after this process” and “After this process.” This helps the reader trace the stages from plant growth to fuel use and the carbon cycle. However, the whole account is presented as one long paragraph, and several stages are crowded into a single sentence, making the progression difficult to follow. Some references are also unclear, particularly “This us carbon dioxido,” where the link back to the released carbon dioxide is hard to identify. Divide the description into logical stages and use clearer transitions and references so that each part of the cycle is easy to track.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “pre-processing,” “cellulose,” “microbes,” “biofuel” and “carbon dioxide,” which helps communicate the subject. There is also some attempt to describe technical stages rather than relying only on general words. However, inaccurate word forms, spelling and collocations are noticeable and sometimes make the meaning less clear: “plantas,” “aerplanes,” “integraded,” and “the process of consume of energy” are examples. Phrases such as “become in cellulose” and “become carbon dioxide in oxygen” are not natural ways to express the intended changes. Build accuracy by learning common process collocations and checking spelling and word forms, while retaining the useful technical vocabulary you already use.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including a relative clause in “which in this case is sunlight plus carbon dioxide” and a sequence of linked stages. However, control of sentence structure and verb forms is inconsistent. For example, “plants and trees grown” needs a finite verb, while “they are collected and start the pre-processing stage” shifts awkwardly between passive and active constructions. The sentence beginning “Once the plantas and trees have harvested” also lacks the correct passive form. Several long sentences join multiple stages without clear punctuation, which makes them harder to process. Practise accurate present-simple descriptions of processes and passive forms, and separate complex sequences into shorter, controlled sentences.

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