Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

This diagrams shows how ethanol is produced a type of biofuel . This is a cycle process and does not creat extra pollution.

Sun light and carbon dioxide are the main features for the growth of trees and plants. When they grow fully they are harvested by machines. The machines cut the plants and trees into small pieces. This process is called pre processes. After that, cellulose seprated from those small pieces of plants and trees. It goes to another procedure which converted these to sugar. It turns into microbes. From these microbes we got ethanol.

Now this ethanol is used for aeroplanes , cars,and trucks as a fuel. These transports release carbon dioxide. which is again used for the growth of new plants and trees. By This process Ethanol is produced. It repeated the same cycle everytime to produced Ethanol.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to describe the process of ethanol production shown in the diagram, identifying key stages such as plant growth, harvesting, cutting, cellulose separation, and conversion into fuel. However, there are notable limitations. Firstly, the response is under-length at 141 words, falling short of the 150-word minimum requirement, which directly impacts the completeness of the task. Secondly, while some main features are reported, the overview is somewhat simplistic, and key details from the diagram are missed or described with imprecise terminology, such as referring to the pre-processing stage vaguely. Consequently, the task is addressed only partially, warranting a band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The text demonstrates some overall organisation, attempting to follow the chronological flow of the cycle from plant growth to fuel combustion. However, paragraphing is poorly handled, with a very brief opening and middle paragraph, followed by a somewhat disjointed final section. Cohesive devices are basic and sometimes inaccurate, as seen in the sudden transitions ('After that', 'It goes to another procedure'). Referencing is also occasionally unclear, such as 'It turns into microbes'. While there is a basic logical progression representing the sequence of the diagram, the mechanical and inadequate use of cohesion keeps this criterion at a band 5.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The lexical resource is limited and basic, with frequent reliance on simple words and repetitive structures ('production', 'plants and trees', 'microbes', 'ethanol'). There are noticeable word choice and spelling errors, such as 'diagrams' instead of 'diagram', 'creat' instead of 'create', 'cycle process' instead of 'cyclic process', and 'seprated' instead of 'separated'. Attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'cellulose' and 'procedure', are present, but inaccuracies in spelling and collocation cause some difficulty for the reader. This performance aligns well with the band 5.0 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student uses a mix of simple and attempted complex sentence forms, but control is weak. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('This diagrams shows', 'It repeated'), missing articles ('Sun light'), and awkward passive/active constructions ('cellulose seprated', 'which converted these to sugar'). Punctuation and spacing errors are also present, such as extra spaces before punctuation marks. While simple sentences are generally understandable, attempts at more complex structures frequently result in faulty grammar that can cause difficulty for the reader, fitting a band 5.0.

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