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 processing indicates how Ethanol is been made in 8 various steps that is being performed from growing plants and tress to burn into Carbon Dioxide to mixed in to the enviroment.

Firstly, The mixture of sunlight and carbon dioxide helps plants and treets to gain a growth, After that harvesting is being performed by a farmer to achieve a crop and further sent it to pre-processing part of cellulose. Secondly, Processing of sugars is done at sugar factories with help of other chemicals is also being added over there. Lastly, The functions of Microbes were added over there which is significant to generate Ethanol gas. And consumption of Ethanol is use as fuel in mixing up with other flame substance to ignite inside engine.

Overall, Te process of making Ethanol is being performed in eight various ways, Apart from this the process generates addition food supply such as sugars. Additionally, these fuel is use in different types of vehicles from Cars, Trucks and aeroplane and so on.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the ethanol production process, from plant growth to fuel consumption. However, the description is somewhat superficial and lacks the precision required for a high band. For instance, the transition from 'pre-processing' to 'sugar factories' and the role of 'microbes' are mentioned but not clearly explained in the context of the diagram. The overview is present but slightly repetitive, focusing on the number of steps rather than summarizing the key transformation process. To improve, ensure that each stage is described with more technical accuracy and that the relationship between the stages is clearly articulated.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the sequence of events. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate, such as 'Apart from this' and 'And consumption of Ethanol is use as fuel'. The referencing is sometimes unclear, and the flow between sentences feels disjointed. While there is a logical progression from the start to the end of the process, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the awkward phrasing of transitions hinder the overall coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and contains several inaccuracies. Phrases like 'gain a growth' and 'mixing up with other flame substance' are unnatural and imprecise. There is also a tendency to repeat basic verbs like 'performed' and 'use'. While the student attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary such as 'cellulose', 'microbes', and 'ethanol', the overall control is weak, leading to awkward collocations that occasionally impede the reader's understanding of the technical process.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that affect readability. There are persistent issues with verb forms, such as 'is been made', 'is being performed', and 'is use'. Subject-verb agreement is also problematic, for example, 'plants and treets to gain a growth'. The sentence structures are mostly simple or contain errors when attempting more complex constructions. Punctuation is inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas and capitalization. A greater focus on basic sentence construction and verb tense consistency is necessary to improve this score.

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