Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-03
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 stages involved in production of ethanol.
Overall,the process consists of 6 distinct steps,beginning with harvesting and resulting with ethanol produced.It is a cyclic process which involves human human made machinery.
To begin with plants and trees growth results into harvesting next it moves to pre-processing.
Following this ,pre-processing involves the production of cellulose.
The cellulose is then processed in order to sugars.
After that,it moves to the next stage where microbes are added.
Finally,the process concludes with Ethanol .Afterwards,ethanol is then used in cars,trucks,and jet engines,Subsequently all these vehicles release carbon dioxide into the environment.Which is later absorbed by the plants as a form of energy and the whole process repeats again
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the score. While the student identifies the main stages of the ethanol production process, the description is overly simplistic and lacks the necessary detail to fully explain the diagram. The summary of the process is fragmented, and the connection between the production stages and the subsequent use of ethanol is not clearly integrated as a cohesive report. To improve, the student should aim to describe each stage with more precision, ensuring all parts of the diagram are covered in sufficient detail to meet the length requirement and provide a comprehensive overview.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response lacks effective paragraphing, appearing as a single block of text. While there is a basic attempt at logical sequencing using transition words like 'To begin with', 'Following this', and 'Finally', the flow is often interrupted by awkward phrasing and punctuation errors. For instance, the use of 'Afterwards' and 'Subsequently' is somewhat repetitive and mechanical. The lack of clear paragraph structure makes the text feel disjointed. To achieve a higher band, the student should organize the information into distinct paragraphs—such as an introduction, a body paragraph for the production process, and a concluding summary—and use a wider variety of cohesive devices more naturally.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. The student relies on basic terms like 'process', 'stages', and 'production', which are used multiple times. There is little evidence of a range of vocabulary suitable for describing a technical or scientific process. Some phrasing is unnatural, such as 'human human made machinery' and 'growth results into harvesting'. To improve, the student should incorporate more precise, topic-specific vocabulary related to industrial processes, such as 'conversion', 'fermentation', 'breakdown', or 'utilization', and focus on using these terms in accurate collocations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. There are issues with article usage (e.g., 'production of cellulose' instead of 'the production of cellulose'), missing spaces after punctuation, and awkward sentence structures, such as 'growth results into harvesting'. The sentence 'Which is later absorbed...' is a sentence fragment. While the student attempts some complex ideas, the lack of control over basic grammar and punctuation limits the score. To improve, the student needs to focus on sentence construction, ensuring that subjects and verbs agree and that punctuation is used correctly to separate independent clauses.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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