Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-23
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 process diagram illustrates the way to produce biofuel/ethanol by using plants and trees in several steps.
Overall, there hs been showed around 6 steps to prepaire ethanol as biofuel .plants and trees used in this process and all processings takes place on them basically it is a cycle because the ethanol used in vhicles causes at last bin carbon di oxide and it used trees .
Plants and trees firstly harvested by the farmer after it farmers pre-process the harvested trees and plants by specific machines that are selected by the type of trees and plants. Processing machine convert harvested plants into small pieces.
The small pieces of crops or trees are used to get cellulose and cellulose further processed for extracting suger moreover microbes added in and finally Ethanol is ready. The cars uses ethanol as fuel and generates carbon dioxide that helps trees and plants to grow.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response identifies the main stages of the ethanol production process, covering the transition from raw materials to the final fuel product. However, the description is somewhat superficial. While it mentions harvesting, processing, and the addition of microbes, it fails to clearly articulate the specific chemical or mechanical transformations depicted in the diagram, such as the conversion of cellulose to sugar. The overview is slightly confused by the inclusion of the carbon cycle, which is a secondary feature rather than a core step in the production process. To improve, focus on a more precise, step-by-step summary of the technical stages shown in the diagram rather than general observations.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression. However, the use of cohesive devices is mechanical and sometimes inaccurate. For instance, the phrase 'at last bin carbon di oxide' is unclear and disrupts the flow. The transition between the harvesting stage and the processing stage is abrupt. While there is an attempt to use linking words like 'moreover' and 'finally', the logical connection between sentences is often weak. Improving the variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that each sentence logically follows the previous one would significantly enhance the coherence of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and contains several errors that occasionally impede clarity. Words like 'prepaire', 'vhicles', and 'suger' are misspelled, and the phrasing 'all processings takes place on them' is unnatural. The range of vocabulary is restricted to basic terms, and there is a lack of precise technical language appropriate for describing a scientific process. To reach a higher band, you should focus on using more accurate terminology related to industrial processes (e.g., 'fermentation', 'break down', 'raw materials') and ensure correct spelling and word formation.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures, and there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('all processings takes place', 'The cars uses'), missing articles ('by the farmer', 'in vhicles'), and awkward phrasing ('there hs been showed'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of periods and capitalization. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar limits the score. Incorporating a wider range of complex sentence structures and proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy would be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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