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)

The process diagram illustrate the production of biofuel which is also known as ethanol.

Overall, to obtain the ethonal has nine stages. the process starts with the stage one which is growing plants and trees with the help of sunlight and carbondioxide. once the plant and the tress grows enough they harvested them and from here the industrial pre processing begins. at the very enetiall stage they cut the harvested plants into several small pieces which is called cellulose. after that the cellulose goes to the lebortries wher the actuall process starts they turns cellulose to the sugar and add microbes which is also the last stage of making ethanol.and then the they send the ethanol to the distributors for the cunsomers which is vehicals and transportations like bus, trucks, and plans. which means the transports emit the carbondioxide, plants obsorbes it and the cycle will remain the same as before.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response covers the main stages from plant growth through processing to ethanol use, and it recognises the diagram’s central feature: carbon dioxide from transport returns to support plant growth. This gives the reader a broadly accurate account of the cycle. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate. The diagram shows cellulose being processed into sugars, followed by microbes being added before ethanol is produced; the response’s wording makes it sound as though adding microbes is the last stage of making ethanol. It also names buses and planes, whereas the diagram shows a car, truck and aeroplane, and it does not clearly report that ethanol is used by these transport modes. A more precise overview and clearer sequencing of the conversion stages would strengthen the summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows the diagram’s general sequence, using markers such as “Overall,” “after that,” and “and then,” so the reader can trace the process from plant growth to transport and the carbon cycle. However, most information is compressed into one long paragraph, and several stages run together, particularly the account of pre-processing, cellulose, sugars and microbes. The sentence beginning “once the plant…” also shifts between stages without clear punctuation, while “which means” introduces the final cycle in a loose way. Grouping the description into a brief overview and a logically ordered account of production and use, with clearer sentence boundaries and references, would make progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant process vocabulary, including “harvested,” “cellulose,” “microbes,” and “carbon dioxide,” which helps convey the subject. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or imprecise, such as “the industrial pre processing begins,” “goes to the lebortries,” and “send the ethanol to the distributors for the cunsomers.” Spelling errors—including “ethonal,” “carbondioxide,” “actuall,” and “obsorbes”—are noticeable and sometimes make the reader pause. Use standard technical terms and more precise verbs to describe each transformation, and check spelling carefully. For example, describe the material as being processed into sugars rather than saying the factory “turns cellulose to the sugar.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

There are attempts to connect stages in longer sentences, and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, the response relies heavily on run-on sentences, with punctuation and sentence boundaries often missing: “...making ethanol.and then the they send...” is one example. There are also recurring errors in agreement and verb forms, as in “the process diagram illustrate,” “the tress grows,” and “they turns cellulose.” Articles and sentence construction are also inconsistent, for example “to obtain the ethonal has nine stages.” These problems make some relationships between stages difficult to follow. Build a clearer mix of short, accurate sentences and controlled complex sentences, checking subject–verb agreement, tense, articles and punctuation.

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