Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-05

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 illustration displays a cycle of production of biofuel called ethanol.

Overall, the diagram demonstrates a cyclic process of biofuel production from plants and trees that undergoes certain process to gain the ethanol.

The ethanol production consist of six main processes which keep on repeating to give a cycle. The production starts with the harvesting of the trees and plants. The harvested material undergoes through a pre-processing phase. In which the material is crushed into cellulose. These cellulose undergoes through a process in the laboratory, in which they are turned into sugar molecules.

Furthermore, the microbes are added into the obtained sugar molecules which will result in the desired product named ethanol. The ethanol is used in various means through which carbon dioxide is obtained. This carbon dioxide along with sunlight is used by the plants and trees in the process of photosynthesis. These plants will again use as the raw material after harvesting to make the biofuel ethanol. Thus the production of ethanol is a cyclic.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the ethanol production cycle, from harvesting to the release of carbon dioxide. However, the description is somewhat superficial. For instance, the transition from 'crushed into cellulose' to 'sugar molecules' lacks detail regarding the chemical or enzymatic processes involved, which are key features of the diagram. While the cyclic nature is identified, the response would benefit from a more precise summary of the inputs and outputs at each stage. The overview is present but could be more comprehensive in highlighting the key transformation points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Paragraphing is used to separate the overview from the process description. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'In which', and 'Thus' are used to link ideas, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive. The progression of the cycle is easy to follow, and the referencing of the stages is generally clear, though the sentence structure occasionally hinders the flow of information.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, using subject-specific terms like 'cellulose', 'microbes', and 'photosynthesis'. However, there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'undergoes certain process to gain the ethanol' and 'used in various means'. The range is somewhat limited, and the phrasing is occasionally repetitive. To reach a higher band, you should aim for more precise verbs and nouns to describe the technical stages of the process.

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 'The ethanol production consist of' (subject-verb agreement), 'These cellulose undergoes' (plural/singular mismatch), and 'the production of ethanol is a cyclic' (missing noun). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. The use of articles and prepositions is also inconsistent throughout the text.

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

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