Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-03
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 process chart illustrates how biofuel is produced in the industries.
Overall, The process is done with the combine efforts of human and machinery. while, Process contains eight stages, begin with harvesting and ends with combustion of fuel into vehicles.
Initially, Plants and trees grow by taking energy from sunlight and carbon dioxide. further, Harvesting has been done by tractor and it send for pre-processing which break the cellulose into minute structures then processing is completed with the help of chemicals in the labs.
Moving towards the remaining details, When the processing done it form sugar structures. In addition, After the combination of microbe and sugar molecules ethanol is produced and when the process is complete it will ready for use in the vehicles. ultimately, The use of biofuel leads to production of carbon dioxide into air and it again contribute in the growing plants and trees and process repeat again and again.
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 the main stages of the ethanol production process, from harvesting to combustion. However, the description is somewhat superficial. While the key stages are identified, the explanation of the chemical and mechanical processes lacks the necessary detail to fully satisfy the 'clear overview' requirement. For instance, the transition from cellulose to sugar is mentioned, but the specific role of the 'fermentation' stage (implied by the microbe addition) is not clearly articulated. The overview is present but could be more effectively synthesised to highlight the cyclical nature of the process more professionally. Overall, the response addresses the task but remains at a basic level of reporting.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the process. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. Phrases like 'Moving towards the remaining details' and 'ultimately' are used somewhat awkwardly. Furthermore, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the final sentence where the connection between the carbon dioxide produced and the growth of plants is a bit disjointed. While there is a clear progression from start to finish, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the repetitive sentence structure limit the flow of the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. Terms like 'done with the combine efforts' and 'it send for' show issues with collocation and grammatical form. While the student uses some relevant technical terms such as 'cellulose', 'microbe', and 'combustion', the overall range is limited. There are also some awkward phrasing choices, such as 'production of carbon dioxide into air', which is not the standard way to describe emissions. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise verbs and nouns related to industrial processes.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('Harvesting has been done... and it send'), missing articles ('in the industries'), and incorrect verb forms ('When the processing done it form'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary capitalisation after commas and within sentences. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevent the response from reaching a higher band. More attention to proofreading for tense consistency and article usage is recommended.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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