Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 diagram illustrate how biofuel ethanol is produced from plants and trees.

Overall, the plants and trees goes through a series of seven stages before it tranformed into ethanol. The process begins with sunlight and carbon dioxide absorbed by plants and trees for growing and harvesting, followed by several stages of processing.

First, plants and trees need to absorbed the sunlight and carbon dioxide emited by transportation for growing. Later its will growing into mature phase and it will be ready to be harvested. After harvested, the plants goes through pre-processing progress to cuts into smaller pieces cellulose before goes another process to turn into sugars.

Next, microbes are added into sugars during the process to tranformed into ethanol. Once ethanol has been made, they are ready to use in transportations industries. Finally, carbon dioxide released by transports combustion will goes into earth atmosphere and used by plants and trees for growing.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main stages of the ethanol production process, from the growth of plants to the final combustion. However, the description is somewhat repetitive and lacks a clear, analytical overview of the cyclical nature of the process. While the main features are identified, the explanation of the 'pre-processing' and 'microbes' stages is slightly underdeveloped. To reach a higher band, ensure that the overview highlights the cyclical relationship between the atmosphere and the production process more explicitly, rather than just listing the steps chronologically.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and the progression of ideas is generally clear. Cohesive devices such as 'First', 'Next', and 'Finally' are used to guide the reader through the stages. However, some transitions feel mechanical, and there are instances where referencing is slightly unclear, such as the use of 'they' to refer to ethanol. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the overall flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking phrases to connect the stages more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to describe the process effectively. However, there are several inaccuracies in word choice and form, such as 'emited' (emitted), 'tranformed' (transformed), and 'transportations industries' (transportation industry). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and relies on basic terminology. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise technical terms related to industrial processes and ensure correct word forms are used consistently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues like 'plants and trees goes' instead of 'go', and 'its will growing' instead of 'it will grow'. Additionally, there are errors in verb tense and passive voice construction, such as 'After harvested' (After being harvested) and 'goes another process' (undergoes another process). These errors are frequent enough to affect the overall clarity of the writing.

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

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