Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-12
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 illustrates the production of ethanol which is considered as a biofuel.
Overall, the circular process includes a sophisticated participation of both natural and industrial involvement. The whole process depicts some sort of recycling of a major gaseous component in the atmosphere and the produced biofuel is used in different fields, majorly focusing on the transportation.
The initial process begins with the harvesting of plants and trees who produces mechanical energy from the sunlight in association with carbon dioxide, a reaction known as photosynthesis. The second phase Pre-processing starts to select the best usable outputs from the harvested sections of the plants. In the end, it produces cellulose, a giant carbohydrate molecule which is reprocessed again to convert into simpler unit of sugars.
In the second stage,sugar molecules are added with a particular microbe to start the biochemical reaction which eventually produces the final product ethanol. Using the accumulated mechanical energy of this biofuel, different types of vehicles use it for transportation of goods and services.
This vehicles release carbon dioxide by burning the fuel and it ultimately adds to the atmosphere which is also an obvious gas required for the initial photosynthesis process from there the plants produces energy.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all parts of the task by outlining the main features of the ethanol production process and following its cyclical nature from plant harvesting to vehicle usage and carbon release. The overview effectively captures the dual natural and industrial aspects of the diagram. However, the description lacks detailed reporting of specific mechanical steps in the middle stages, such as the exact conversion metrics or intermediate stages between cellulose and sugar. While the key stages are identified, some ideas remain slightly under-developed, aligning best with a Band 6.5 or rounded to Band 6 due to incomplete coverage of fine details within the process.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical chronological sequence that mirrors the diagram. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate the introduction, overview, and individual stages of the process. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or relies on simplistic transitions such as 'The initial process begins', 'The second phase', and 'In the second stage'. Referencing is occasionally slightly unclear, for example, the phrase 'from there the plants produces energy' creates a slightly disjointed flow. Overall, the organizational structure is clear enough to earn a solid Band 6.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terms such as 'photosynthesis', 'biochemical reaction', 'cellulose', and 'microbe'. However, there are noticeable word-choice inaccuracies and awkward collocations, such as 'sophisticated participation of both natural and industrial involvement' and 'plants and trees who produces'. The use of 'majorly focusing' is also informal. While less common lexical items are attempted, inaccuracies in collocation and word forms prevent the response from reaching Band 7. The vocabulary is sufficient for communication but reflects Band 6 characteristics.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at relative clauses and participial phrases, such as 'which is considered as a biofuel' and 'known as photosynthesis'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues like 'plants and trees who produces' and 'This vehicles release', as well as punctuation and prepositional slips. Although these errors do not severely impede overall communication, their frequency prevents the attainment of a Band 7. The control of grammar is characteristic of Band 6.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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