Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-10

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 5.0)

The diagram illustrates the lrocessing of making ethanol.

overall,it is clear that there are signicificant stages in this process commencing with producing energy from sunlight and ending eith producing ethanol .

In the first stage , energy is produced from sunlight and carbondioxide which may helps plants and tress grow after that plants and tress are harvesting by the help of tractor. Once this process is done it is ready for pre processing

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

The response identifies the topic and mentions the opening stages: sunlight and carbon dioxide, plant growth, harvesting, and pre-processing. However, it stops before describing most of the process, including cellulose, processing into sugars, the addition of microbes, ethanol, transport use, and the return of carbon dioxide to plants. The overview is also inaccurate: it says the process ends with producing ethanol, whereas the diagram shows a cycle, and the opening energy is not produced from sunlight; sunlight and carbon dioxide support plant growth. The response is only 73 words, below the required 150, which contributes to the task being addressed only minimally. To improve, report the full sequence and give an accurate overview of the cycle.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The ideas follow a basic chronological order, moving from energy and plant growth to harvesting and pre-processing. Linking phrases such as “In the first stage” and “after that” help show this sequence, and the response is understandable at sentence level. However, there is no developed paragraph structure or progression through the complete process; the account ends abruptly at pre-processing. Some linking is also awkward, as “Once this process is done” does not clearly identify which process is meant. Organise the response into an introduction and overview, followed by a complete sequence of stages, using clear transitions such as “Next,” “Following this,” and “Finally” to guide the reader.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant process vocabulary, including “energy,” “plants,” “harvesting,” and “pre processing,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several spelling or word-choice errors reduce clarity: “lrocessing,” “signicificant,” “tress,” and “carbondioxide.” The phrase “producing energy from sunlight” also misrepresents the diagram, while “plants and trees are harvesting” is not an appropriate expression for this stage. Use accurate terms from the diagram, such as “sunlight,” “carbon dioxide,” “cellulose,” “sugars,” and “microbes,” and choose precise process verbs such as “are harvested” and “is converted into.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both a simple statement and longer sentences linked with “which,” “after that,” and “Once,” showing some effort to vary sentence structure. However, the longer constructions are often faulty. For example, “which may helps plants and tress grow” has incorrect verb agreement and form, and “plants and tress are harvesting” uses an incorrect passive construction. The opening sentence also lacks a clear grammatical structure after “overall,” and punctuation spacing and capitalisation are inconsistent. These errors make parts of the account difficult to follow. Practise accurate passive forms for process descriptions, such as “the plants are harvested,” and check subject–verb agreement and sentence boundaries.

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