Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-24
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 pictorial graph represents the information about the production of ethanol, a biofuel.
From an overview, it is evident that the making process originates from collecting sunlight, carbon dioxide, and terminates by adding microbes, led to production of ethanol.
Firstly, plants and trees are grown with the aid of photosynthesis which requires energy, sunlight and carbon dioxide. After that, the trees are harvested with a tractor. These are pre-processed, which produces cellulose. Thereafter, it is processed again in the factory to form sugar crystals.
In the penultimate step, the microbes are added to the sugar so that it can finally produce ethanol as a byproduct. This chemical is further used in airplanes, trucks and cars. Again, these means of transport release emissions of carbon dioxide into the air. After which, this gas is further used by the plants to make the food along with the light from the sun and energy.
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 all stages of the process, from the growth of plants to the final use of ethanol and the subsequent release of carbon dioxide. The overview is clear, identifying the cyclical nature of the process. However, the description of the steps is somewhat simplistic. For instance, the transition from 'cellulose' to 'sugar crystals' is mentioned, but the diagram's specific intermediate steps (such as the addition of acid/enzymes) are omitted. To reach a higher band, you should ensure that all key technical stages shown in the diagram are described with more precision rather than just listing them sequentially.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is logically organized, following the chronological flow of the diagram. You have used a range of cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'After that', 'Thereafter', and 'In the penultimate step', which helps the reader follow the process. However, the paragraphing is quite limited; the entire body of the report is contained within two short paragraphs. A more effective structure would involve a clear introduction, a brief overview, and two distinct body paragraphs to separate the production phase from the consumption/recycling phase. This would improve the overall flow and readability of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You have used some appropriate technical vocabulary related to the topic, such as 'photosynthesis', 'cellulose', 'byproduct', and 'emissions'. However, there are some awkward word choices. For example, 'pictorial graph' is not the most accurate term for a process diagram, and 'making process' is quite informal. The phrase 'terminates by adding microbes' is also slightly unnatural. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and avoiding overly simplistic verbs. Expanding your range of vocabulary to describe industrial processes would help you move into the higher band range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical slips. For example, 'led to production of ethanol' should be 'leading to the production of ethanol', and 'make the food' is an imprecise way to describe the biological process of plant growth. There are also minor issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the writing from reaching a higher band. Focus on ensuring subject-verb agreement and refining your use of relative clauses to improve complexity.
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.