Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-01

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 6.0)

The process diagram illustrates how ethanol is produced. Process comprises of several steps, starting with harvesting of crops and ending with production of ethanol from sugars.

It starts with initial processing of the harvested plants into cellulose, which is further refined to form sugars, that is used to extract ethanol.

At very first stage, sunlight and carbon dioxide is absorbed by the plants and trees. Those plants are cut by the farmers. Harvested crops are taken in pre-treatment phase. After this step, cellulose is recovered. Subsequently, sugar is produced from the processing of the cellulose.

In the last phase of the production, microbes are added into the sugar to get the final product. That product, ethanol is used as fuel in many vehicles, which produces carbon dioxide after burning. Returning to the initial part of the procedure, that carbon dioxide in environment is used by plants and trees again to grow.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main stages of the ethanol production process, from the initial growth of plants to the final fuel usage. However, the overview is somewhat limited. While the key steps are identified, the description lacks a clear, cohesive summary of the cycle as a whole. The response identifies the main features but could be improved by better highlighting the cyclical nature of the process (carbon dioxide absorption to emission) more explicitly in the introduction or overview. The information is accurate, but the development of the stages is slightly mechanical, focusing on listing steps rather than synthesizing the information effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the process. Cohesive devices such as 'starting with', 'at very first stage', 'after this step', and 'subsequently' are used to signal the progression of the process. However, some transitions feel a bit repetitive or mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, though the flow between sentences could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate for a process description, but the overall progression could be more sophisticated to achieve a higher band score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with terms like 'cellulose', 'microbes', and 'refined' used correctly. However, the range is somewhat limited and relies on basic phrasing. There are minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'Process comprises of' (should be 'The process comprises' or 'consists of') and 'At very first stage' (should be 'At the very first stage'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning, it lacks the variety and precision required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('at very first stage', 'in environment'), subject-verb agreement issues ('carbon dioxide is absorbed' is correct, but 'Process comprises of' is incorrect), and awkward phrasing ('that is used to extract ethanol'). While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. A greater focus on accurate article usage and more varied, error-free complex structures would improve the score.

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

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