Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-14

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 diagram illustrates the production of biofuel known as ethanol.

Overall, biofuel production goes through several steps.

The production of biofuel starts with the energy present in atmosphere in the form of sunlight and carbon dioxide. The energy is directly taken by plants which is used for growth of plants and trees. In the next step, plants are harvested using harvesting machines and are passed through pre-processes to extract cellulose. After it, cellulose is treated with many processing chemicals to obtain sugars from cellulose. The final step of ethanol starts with addition of microbes which leads to final product that is ethanol. The ethanol is consumed by planes and vehicles including car, long goods carier. On burning in different engines they emit carbon dioxide directly into atmosphere which is taken up by plants. This is the initial source of energy including sunlight and carbon dioxide so, the cycle again starts and ends up with releasing carbon dioxide directly into air.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main stages, from sunlight and carbon dioxide supporting plant growth through harvesting, cellulose, sugars and microbes to ethanol, and you also describe the return of carbon dioxide from transport. This gives the reader a generally accurate account of the process. However, the overview, “biofuel production goes through several steps,” is too general to highlight the diagram’s defining feature: it is a cycle. Some details are also unclear or unsupported. For example, the diagram shows processing but does not specify “many processing chemicals,” and it shows ethanol used by a car, truck and aeroplane rather than being “consumed” by them. Make the cyclical nature explicit in the overview and describe the stages and transport uses more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The stages are presented in a broadly logical order, and sequencing phrases such as “In the next step” and “After it” help the reader follow the process. The final sentences also connect emissions back to plant growth, reflecting the diagram’s cycle. However, the response is written as one continuous paragraph, so the overview and detailed stages are not clearly separated. Some links are mechanical or unclear: “This is the initial source of energy” does not clearly refer to the carbon dioxide cycle, and “so, the cycle again starts and ends up” makes the sequence difficult to follow. Use a separate overview paragraph, then group the production stages and the return loop, with clearer references between them.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of process vocabulary, including “harvested,” “extract cellulose,” “microbes,” and “carbon dioxide,” which allows you to describe the main stages. Some less precise or awkward choices reduce clarity: “pre-processes” is not the natural name for the stage, “consumed by planes and vehicles” does not accurately describe fuel use, and “long goods carier” is unclear and misspelled. “Processing chemicals” also adds a detail not shown in the diagram. Choose established process terms and accurate transport vocabulary, such as “pre-processing,” “used as fuel,” and “truck.” This would make the description more precise while retaining the adequate range already demonstrated.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including relative clauses (“which is used for growth”) and a conditional time clause (“On burning in different engines…”). The sequence remains understandable, but some grammatical errors occur. In “plants which is used,” the verb does not agree with the plural noun; “which are used” or a rephrased sentence is needed. “The final step of ethanol starts with addition of microbes” has an unclear subject and needs an article before “addition.” The long final sentence also joins several ideas with weak punctuation, particularly around “so, the cycle again starts.” Aim for clearer sentence boundaries and check agreement, articles and clause structure. More consistently controlled complex sentences would improve accuracy.

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