Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-15
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 given information about how ethanol is made which is also known as Biofuel production is depicted by the rendered process chart. The following description are going to elaborate the whole process.
Overall, it has been vividly manifested that the procedure contains four stages such as Harvesting, Cellulose, Processing and Sugars. If any of the steps are missed, the whole process will be ruined.
Having a brief look at the diagram it is evident that the plants and trees grew with the help of energy which comes from sunlight and carbon dioxide. After that, the fully grown trees harvested by the workers in order to make cellulose whereas the the plants was putting in the mechanism for the pre-processing of cellulose.
Furthermore, the rest of the work handled by the scientific process. However, the chemicals used in the processing of molecules which is called Sugars. Nevertheless, microbes added at the procedure to create Ethanol while the Ethanol use as carbon dioxide in several types of vehicles.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response attempts to describe the process, but it fails to accurately report the main features. The description of the stages is confusing and inaccurate; for instance, it lists 'Cellulose' and 'Sugars' as stages, which are actually products or components of the process rather than steps. The summary of the diagram is disjointed, and the explanation of how ethanol is used is factually incorrect based on the provided diagram (it states ethanol is used as carbon dioxide, which is a misunderstanding of the cycle). The response lacks a clear overview of the transformation process.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. While some cohesive devices like 'Furthermore' and 'However' are used, they are often placed incorrectly or do not logically connect the ideas. The referencing is sometimes unclear, and the flow between sentences is disjointed, making it difficult for the reader to follow the sequence of the production process. Paragraphing is present but does not effectively group related information.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is limited and sometimes inappropriate for a formal report. There are instances of word-choice errors, such as 'vividly manifested' and 'rendered process chart', which sound unnatural in this context. The student struggles to use technical terms accurately, such as confusing the role of microbes or the nature of the chemical process. The range is sufficient for basic communication but lacks the precision required for a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('the plants was putting', 'trees harvested by the workers'), incorrect tense usage, and awkward sentence structures ('The following description are going to elaborate'). There is a lack of complex sentence structures, and the errors in basic grammar are persistent throughout the text, which limits the score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.