Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-05

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 5.5)

The picture illustrates the way of producing ethanol which is considered as a biofuel.

Overall, the process cycle is beginning from growing plants and trees which is ending up emitting carbon dioxide by vehicles to the environment.

Initially the harvest is collected and fetched to the factories by vehicles of trucks. Secondly the plants will be pre processed and will be converted to Cellulose. Furthermore, cellulose will be processed to produce sugar. Once the whole procedure is completed, microbes will be added to generate the end result of Ethanol.

Then this bio gas, Ethanol is used as a fuel to run vehicles such as Trucks, cars etc.. not only that but also, the same fuel is utilized to fly airplanes as well.

Ultimately, when vehicles start to operate on routes, carbon dioxide is releasing to the atmosphere . Plants and tress is absorbing sunlight and carbon dioxide for their growth

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the ethanol production cycle, from raw materials to the final emission of carbon dioxide. However, the description is somewhat superficial. While the prompt asks for a summary of the process, the student misses opportunities to highlight key technical transitions, such as the specific conversion of cellulose to sugar. The overview is present but lacks a clear synthesis of the cyclical nature of the process. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on grouping the stages more logically and providing a more detailed account of the transformation steps shown in the diagram.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of the process. The use of cohesive devices like 'Initially', 'Secondly', 'Furthermore', and 'Ultimately' is functional, though at times it feels a bit mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, although the transition between the production phase and the usage phase could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate for a process description, but the logical flow between the final stage (CO2 emission) and the beginning (plant growth) could be better integrated to emphasize the cyclical nature of the diagram.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with terms like 'biofuel', 'cellulose', 'microbes', and 'atmosphere' used correctly. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'fetched to the factories' and 'the process cycle is beginning'. The student relies on basic verbs and connectors. To improve, the student should incorporate more precise process-related vocabulary, such as 'fermentation', 'extraction', or 'conversion', and work on more sophisticated collocations to describe industrial processes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'Plants and tress is absorbing' (subject-verb agreement) and 'the way of producing ethanol which is considered as a biofuel' (clunky relative clause). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of ellipses and unnecessary commas. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and refining complex sentence construction would lead to significant improvement.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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