Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-13

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 4.5)

This illustration gives information about the how biofuel called ethanol was made. Overall, for the production Ethanol we need to pass a several step.

It is quite evident from the diagram, the production of Ethanol was dividing into several step. First plants were absorb sunlight and carbon dioxide than farmer harvesting the plant and send it was send into industries for preprocessing. In industries preprocessing was proceed and cellulose add in it after that the processing was start after few time sugars add in it. After that a specific shape was giving after the several completed the Ethanol was made.

Furthermore, after the product of Ethanol this the Ethanol was transport all over the world from different source. In nearest place it transport through the car and for long distance it transport by truck and for other country it transport by the airplane. After this the process of the Ethanol was again repeated.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The candidate attempts to summarise the diagram illustrating the production and transportation of ethanol, covering the general process from raw material to final distribution. However, the response lacks a clear and coherent overview of the main stages, and the reporting of specific steps is inaccurate and vague, such as 'cellulose add in it' and 'a specific shape was giving'. Key features like fermentation, distillation, and dehydration are entirely missed or severely misinterpreted. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed, aligning the response with a Band 5 performance for this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is divided into three paragraphs, including an introduction and conclusion, but the overall progression of ideas is frequently disrupted. Cohesive devices are used awkwardly or repetitively, such as the excessive reliance on 'After that' and 'Furthermore'. Referencing is also problematic, as seen in phrases like 'this the Ethanol was transport'. While there is some underlying structure, the mechanical and inaccurate use of cohesive ties prevents the writing from reaching a higher band, placing it at a Band 4.5 to 5.0 level. We award a Band 5.0 for attempting basic paragraphing and logical transitions.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.0

The vocabulary used is basic and heavily repetitive, with frequent reliance on simple words like 'plant', 'step', and 'ethanol'. There are noticeable lexical errors and inappropriate word choices, such as 'preprocessing was proceed', 'absorb sunlight and carbon dioxide than farmer harvesting', and 'transport through the car'. The lack of precise scientific or process-related terminology severely restricts the range of vocabulary. These errors cause difficulty for the reader and reflect the descriptors for Band 4.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

Grammatical control is weak throughout the response, featuring a very limited range of sentence structures. The text contains frequent and persistent errors, including tense confusion ('was made', 'was dividing'), passive voice errors ('was send', 'was giving'), and missing articles ('pass a several step'). Complex sentence attempts are invariably faulty, and basic rules of subject-verb agreement and preposition use are regularly broken. These frequent errors obscure meaning at times, placing the grammatical performance firmly at a Band 4.0.

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

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