Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 given figure illustrates how ethanol is produced.

Overall, the process is an artificial and cyclic process which contains 9 steps. It is commencing with growth of trees and concluding with carbon dioxide releasing from to the atmosphere which is again absorb into the trees completing the cycle.

Plants and tress are grown using the energy from the sun and air from carbon dioxide. The first human interaction of the cycle is harvesting the trees and plants and pre-process them to create small pieces. Those small pieces are transformed into cellulose, which are later process further using chemicals.

After process by chemicals, sugar is formed. Sugars break down further into cellular form to get the ethanol. Ethanol is used as a biofuel in vehicles such as in cars, lorries and planes. The vehicles release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which is used in plants growth. That completes the ethanol cycle.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main stages and provide an overview that identifies the cycle, from plant growth through fuel use to carbon dioxide returning to plants. The references to harvesting, pre-processing, cellulose, processing, sugars, microbes, ethanol and transport show a sound understanding of the diagram. Some details, however, are inaccurate or unclear: the diagram does not specify that chemicals are used, and sugars are converted to ethanol after microbes are added, not into a “cellular form.” The overview also says there are nine steps, which does not clearly match the sequence shown. To strengthen the response, describe the microbes’ role accurately and distinguish the production stages from the later use of ethanol and carbon dioxide cycle. The main features are present, but not all are reported precisely enough for a fuller account.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is arranged in a clear sequence: an introduction and overview are followed by the plant-processing stages and then fuel use and carbon dioxide return. This makes the overall cycle easy to follow, and phrases such as “After process by chemicals” and “That completes the ethanol cycle” signal progression. However, some links are mechanical or unclear, particularly “Sugars break down further into cellular form to get the ethanol,” which makes the relationship between stages difficult to understand. The overview’s “concluding with” also sits awkwardly beside the idea that the cycle continues. Use more precise stage-to-stage links and clear references, while keeping the useful paragraph structure, to make progression smoother and cohesion less dependent on repeated sequencing.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a relevant range of process vocabulary, including “harvesting,” “cellulose,” “ethanol,” “biofuel” and “atmosphere,” which is appropriate to the diagram. Some less common terms are attempted, but inaccurate word choice and collocation reduce precision: “artificial” does not describe the natural cycle well, “air from carbon dioxide” is unclear, and “cellular form” does not accurately name the stage shown. There are also spelling slips such as “tress” for “trees.” These do not prevent the reader from understanding the general process, but they make parts of the account less reliable. Aim for exact process terms and natural combinations, such as “carbon dioxide is absorbed” and “microbes are added,” rather than using approximate wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a relative clause in “which is again absorb into the trees” and a sequence of linked stages. The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but some grammatical errors remain, especially in verb forms, agreement and sentence construction. For example, “which is again absorb” needs a passive participle, while “pre-process them” does not fit smoothly with the preceding subject and “which are later process further” has an incorrect verb form. “Carbon dioxide releasing from to the atmosphere” also has an incomplete grammatical pattern. These errors make several sentences less controlled, even though the basic sequence can be followed. Practise accurate passive forms for process descriptions and check subject–verb agreement and prepositions when revising.

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