Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-30

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 chart illustrates the process of formation of biofuel called ethanol.

Overall, there are eight principle stages for the production of ethanol. It begins with capturing of resources from the environment by plants and trees and end with the emission of carbon dioxide from the used biofuel. This process flows cyclic path.

In very first step plants and trees consume energy in the form of sunlight and carbon dioxide. Then they are harvested and are sent to the pre processing machines. Chemical compound called cellulose is extracted out by the chemical reactions. Further, obtained cellulose is undergo several chemical processing to make different sugars. Microbes are incorporated into sugars and they ferment on them to obtain target product called ethanol. Next, the biofuel is utilized as a fuel to run various vehicles like cars, trucks, and airplanes. These vehicles emit carbon dioxide and it is further taken by the plants and trees to prepare ethanol. This process continuous onwards.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response successfully identifies the main features of the ethanol production process. You have provided a clear overview and followed the sequence of the diagram logically. However, the description of the process is somewhat mechanical and lacks a more sophisticated synthesis of the stages. While you mention the cyclic nature, the explanation of the chemical processing and the transition between stages could be more detailed to fully meet the requirements of a higher band. The summary is accurate, but it relies heavily on listing the steps rather than highlighting the key transformations effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into a logical structure with an introduction, an overview, and a body paragraph. The use of cohesive devices such as 'In very first step', 'Then', 'Further', and 'Next' helps the reader follow the sequence of events. However, the transition between sentences is sometimes repetitive, and the paragraphing is limited; the body of the report would benefit from being split into two distinct stages (e.g., the biological growth phase versus the industrial processing phase) to improve the flow and logical progression of the information.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'cellulose', 'ferment', and 'emission' correctly. However, there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'formation of biofuel' instead of 'production of biofuel' and 'This process flows cyclic path' which is grammatically incomplete. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band. To improve, focus on using more natural collocations and ensuring that technical terms are integrated into fluent, grammatically correct sentences.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('In very first step', 'target product called ethanol') and awkward phrasing ('cellulose is undergo several chemical processing'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. You should work on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles. Additionally, some sentences are slightly fragmented, which affects the overall grammatical control of the piece.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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