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)

This figure illustrates the whole process of producing ethanol.

Overall , the ethanol pass through a lot of steps , starting from planting trees to supplying vehicules with this important gaz .The cycle of producing ethanol includes 6 main steps that are well organized .

First , the process starts from the trees that absorb sunlight , carbon and dioxide through the growing process . After growing and developing into big trees , they get harvested and transported to facturies where they pass through pre-processing step that consist on crashing trees using sophisticated machines ending up into cellulose , after this , the cellulose pass to the laboratories to get through some chemical experiments . Afterwards , the cellulose are transformed into sugars and then , some microbes are added to it , after all of this well organized steps , we obtain the ethanol which is a very crucial gaz for the transportation industry . After being consumed by different vehicules , the ethanol is discharged in the air as a carbon dioxide where it get consumed by trees again and the cycle repeats itself .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the ethanol production cycle, from tree growth to consumption and recycling. However, the description is somewhat superficial. For instance, the transition from 'cellulose' to 'sugars' is mentioned, but the specific chemical or biological processes (such as hydrolysis or fermentation) are omitted, which are key features of a technical diagram. The overview is present but lacks a clear summary of the cyclical nature of the process. To improve, ensure that all key technical stages are described with more precision rather than just listing them as a sequence of events.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into two paragraphs, which is acceptable, but the internal structure is somewhat repetitive. The use of cohesive devices like 'Afterwards', 'After this', and 'After all of this' is mechanical and repetitive, which affects the flow. While there is a logical progression from the start to the end of the cycle, the paragraphing is unbalanced, with the second paragraph being quite dense. Using a wider variety of linking words and better paragraph division would improve the overall coherence and readability of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are several inaccuracies and informal choices. For example, 'gaz' is a misspelling of 'gas', and 'crashing' is likely a misuse of 'crushing'. The phrase 'well organized steps' is repetitive. While the student attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'cellulose' and 'microbes', the overall range is limited. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise technical terminology and ensure correct spelling and word choice throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'the ethanol pass', 'the cellulose pass', 'the cellulose are transformed'), incorrect preposition usage (e.g., 'consist on'), and punctuation errors (e.g., spaces before commas). While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar and syntax prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and proofreading for minor mechanical errors would be highly beneficial.

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.