Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-07-26

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 6.5)

Nowadays, energy sources are essential to the world. From these multiple energy sources, a detailed diagram shows how ethanol, a biofuel, is produced.

Overall, the manufacturing of ethanol is a cyclic sequence of numerous steps. Ranging from complex steps to easier ones.

In fact, the cycle starts with plants and trees absorbing sunlight and carbon dioxide. Thus, growing until they reach a level in which they are harvested. Once that is done, the harvest products are pre-processed to obtain cellulose. Cellulose are then chemically treated to extract sugar from them. The last step of this procedure involves adding microbes to the sugars which results in the biofuel ethanol.

Hence, making the loop complete. As ethanol once consumed by transportation facilities such as planes cars or trucks carbon dioxide is released which brings us back at the start of the cycle and making it biofriendly.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main stages of the ethanol production cycle, but it fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which negatively impacts the score. While the overview is present, the description of the process is somewhat brief and lacks the level of detail required for a high band score. The connection between the stages is identified, but the explanation of the chemical and mechanical processes could be more thoroughly developed to fully address the prompt. Because the response is under the word limit, it cannot be awarded a score higher than 5.5 for Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, following the chronological order of the diagram. The use of cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In fact', 'Once that is done', and 'Hence' helps to guide the reader through the process. However, the paragraphing is somewhat limited; the response would benefit from a clearer separation between the introduction, the main process description, and the concluding summary. The flow is generally smooth, but the brevity of the text makes the overall structure feel slightly underdeveloped.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary used is generally appropriate for the task, with terms like 'biofuel', 'cellulose', 'chemically treated', and 'transportation facilities'. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'harvest products' instead of 'harvested crops' or 'biofriendly' which is a bit informal for an academic report. The range of vocabulary is adequate to convey the meaning, but it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher band scores. The student successfully uses technical terms relevant to the diagram.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'Cellulose are then chemically treated' (subject-verb agreement error) and 'making the loop complete' (a sentence fragment). Additionally, the sentence 'As ethanol once consumed by transportation facilities such as planes cars or trucks carbon dioxide is released' lacks necessary punctuation and clarity. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they demonstrate a lack of control over complex structures, which limits the score.

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