Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-31

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 diagram shows how a biofuel called ethanol is produced by using organic resources.

Overall, the production of this biofuel has mainly three steps: Harvesting, Processing and Utilization. It is a sustainable and natural fuel, so after the combustion of ethanol mixed fuel the Co2 is again absorbed by trees and plants for further production of Ethanol.

First of all, the mature and healthy trees and plants are cultivated. Then, they are sent to scientific plant for pre-processing. There the chemical compound called "cellulose" is abstracted. That compound is further more processed and transformed into sugar. Again, sugar is introduced to microbes which then produces the final product known as "Ethanol". Ethanol is often re-processed with fossil fuel for better utilization. However, some engines which are designed to run fully on ethanol can combust it without any problem and it can be directly used to vehicles like cars, trucks, aeroplanes, etc. In the end of this cycle, Carbon Dioxide produced by those vehicles are again utilized by plants and trees as energy with sunolight.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the ethanol production process, from harvesting to utilization. However, the description is somewhat narrative rather than analytical. While the main features are identified, the response lacks a clear, concise overview of the entire cycle as a single process. Some details, such as the mention of 'sunolight' and the specific mention of 'scientific plant', are slightly imprecise. To improve, ensure that the overview highlights the cyclical nature of the process more clearly and avoids adding external information not present in the diagram, such as the specific list of vehicles.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and a body paragraph detailing the steps. The use of cohesive devices like 'First of all', 'Then', 'However', and 'In the end' helps guide the reader through the process. However, the paragraphing is slightly unbalanced, with a very short overview paragraph. The transition between the production process and the utilization phase is clear, but the overall flow could be improved by grouping the stages more effectively to show the cyclical nature of the biofuel production.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with terms like 'sustainable', 'combustion', 'cellulose', and 'microbes' used correctly. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'abstracted' (extracted is more appropriate in this context) and 'sunolight' (a spelling error). The range is sufficient to convey the process, but more precise technical collocations would elevate the response. The student successfully uses topic-specific vocabulary, which demonstrates a good attempt at using less common items.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'scientific plant' (missing an article) and 'used to vehicles' (should be 'used in vehicles'). The phrase 'further more processed' is also slightly awkward. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading. The use of passive voice, which is appropriate for describing a process, is generally handled well, though some structures could be more varied.

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