Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-17
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 flow chart presents various stages of biofuel production such as ethanol.
Initially, plants and trees grow using energy such as sunlight and carbon dioxide. Once they matured, harvested crops goes under pre-processing. At this stage, the plants material is prepared and converted into cellulose. It transfers into facility where cellulose breaks down into sugar.
In the next stage, microbes are added to the sugar, resulting in the production of ethanol. it is used by transportation systems such as cars, buses, trucks and airplanes. These vehicles release carbon dioxide in the air. Carbon dioxide is also produced at some stage as pre-processing and many more. Then, it can be used by plants and trees to grow, allowing the process to continue.
Overall, the process contains several stages, starts with the growth of plants, move forward with making cellulose from it and in the end, the cycle remains continue to produce ethanol.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main stages of the ethanol production process, from the growth of plants to the final use of fuel. However, the description is somewhat superficial. While the main features are identified, the response lacks a clear overview or summary of the cyclical nature of the process in the introduction, and some details are slightly inaccurate (e.g., stating that cellulose is converted into sugar at a 'facility' without mentioning the specific chemical or mechanical breakdown steps shown in the diagram). The report would benefit from a more precise description of the inputs and outputs at each stage to better satisfy the requirement to report main features and make comparisons.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is organized into three paragraphs, which is a logical structure for a process description. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Initially', 'In the next stage', and 'Overall', which help guide the reader through the sequence. However, the referencing is occasionally unclear; for example, the phrase 'it is used by transportation systems' follows the mention of microbes, and the connection between the carbon dioxide release and the plant growth cycle could be more explicitly linked using better transition words. The final sentence is slightly repetitive and lacks a smooth flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe the process stages. There are some attempts at topic-specific vocabulary, such as 'cellulose', 'microbes', and 'biofuel'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'plants material' instead of 'plant material' and 'the cycle remains continue', which is grammatically and lexically incorrect. To achieve a higher band, the student should focus on more precise terminology and avoid repetitive or non-standard collocations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('harvested crops goes', 'plants and trees grow... Once they matured'), missing articles ('in the air'), and awkward sentence construction ('Carbon dioxide is also produced at some stage as pre-processing and many more'). While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. More attention to verb tenses and pluralization is necessary.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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