Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-13

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 below illustrates the process how a biofuel called ethanol is formed.

Overall, the process consists of six distant steps, beginning with growth of plants and trees and ending with addition of different microbes.It is a linear process that involves both natural forces and man-made machinery.

To begin with,first stage involves the better growth of different plants and trees.Following this second step involves the cutting and harvesting of these plants and trees.Then the harvested material undergo the process called pre-processing into small pieces and the material is ready fot further processing. During the time, we added sugars and microbes for manufacture of our desirsd product.After, going through these steps our final product is ready to use

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify the topic and attempt to describe a sequence, but the account omits several central features and misrepresents the overall process. The diagram is a cycle: plants grow using sunlight and carbon dioxide, and carbon dioxide released through transport returns to the plants. Your overview instead calls it “a linear process” and says it ends with “addition of different microbes,” although ethanol is produced after microbes are added and is then used by vehicles. The stages involving cellulose, sugars, ethanol, and transport are not accurately or fully explained. The response also contains 117 words, below the required 150, which limits the detail provided. To improve, give an accurate overview of the cycle and describe the key stages in order, including the carbon-dioxide loop.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a basic attempt at organisation: an opening statement, an overview, and a sequence introduced with phrases such as “To begin with” and “Following this.” This gives the reader some sense of progression. However, the overview’s claim that the process is linear conflicts with the diagram’s circular structure, and the sequence becomes difficult to follow when stages are compressed into “During the time, we added sugars and microbes.” Some transitions are awkward or incomplete, including “After, going through these steps,” and the response ends without a clear account of the final stages. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and process details, and connect each stage with precise sequencing language and clear references.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “harvesting,” “pre-processing,” “microbes,” and “final product,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, which makes parts of the description unclear. For example, “six distant steps” does not convey the intended meaning, “better growth” is not an appropriate description of plant growth, and “cutting” is less precise than describing the harvesting stage. There are also spelling errors such as “fot” and “desirsd,” and “our desired product” is too informal for an academic process summary. Build a more precise set of process terms and check spelling and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response includes a few attempts at longer structures, such as “Then the harvested material undergo the process called pre-processing into small pieces,” but control is inconsistent. Errors in sentence construction and verb forms occur in several places: “the process how a biofuel … is formed” needs a different structure, “material undergo” has incorrect agreement, and “we added sugars and microbes” shifts into an inappropriate first-person past-tense account. Punctuation and spacing also interfere with readability, as in “To begin with,first” and “microbes.It.” Most sentences are understandable, but these recurring problems make the process harder to follow. Practise accurate present-simple descriptions of stages and use complete, correctly punctuated sentences.

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