Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-15
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 delineates the multi-stage procedure involves in the formation of biofuel a phenomenon formally refered to as ethanol.
Overall, it consists of seven primary stages commencing with the harvesting of trees and culminating in the production of ethanol for use in different transit which in return release carbindioxide in the atmoshphere consequently resulting in global warming.
Initially, the plants and trees grow by taking sunlight and carbondioxide from the atmosphere through a process known as photosynthesis. These are then harvested by farmers. Simultanously, the harvested crops fed into a machine for pre-processing that seperates the cellulose from the plants, which made up the cell wall of plants. Subsequently, the cellulose is further processed in the laboratory and convereted into sugars, which undergo additional processing to add microbes. Consequently, the microbial added compound results in ethanol which is used as a fuel in different transit.These vehicles when operates releases substantial amount of carbondioxide and increases the carbon footprints.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the biofuel production diagram. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, outlining the cyclical nature of the process from harvesting to vehicle emissions and carbon dioxide absorption. Key stages such as pre-processing, cellulose separation, sugar conversion, and microbe addition are accurately detailed and contextualised. While the student introduces extraneous personal commentary regarding global warming and carbon footprints at the end, the core informational requirements of the process diagram are adequately met. The response covers the complete sequence logically, earning a solid Band 6.5 for Task Achievement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression through the stages of ethanol production. Cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'Simultanously', 'Subsequently', and 'Consequently' are employed to guide the reader through the flowchart. However, some mechanical phrasing and referencing issues occur, and paragraphing is somewhat basic, consisting of only an introduction and two body paragraphs. The transition between the transport usage and the environmental impact is slightly abrupt. Nevertheless, the progression of ideas is easy to follow, making Coherence and Cohesion fit comfortably within the Band 6 descriptor.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The response demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common and technical terms such as 'photosynthesis', 'cellulose', 'microbes', and 'transits'. However, there are notable spelling errors throughout the text, including 'involves' instead of 'involving', 'refered' instead of 'referred', 'carbindioxide', 'atmoshphere', 'Simultanously', 'seperates', 'convereted', and 'operates'. Despite these lexical and spelling inaccuracies, communication is not impeded, and the technical vocabulary directly relates to the prompt. This level of vocabulary and error frequency aligns with a Band 6 score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating relative clauses and participial phrases, such as 'which made up the cell wall of plants' and 'which undergo additional processing'. However, grammatical control is inconsistent, with several noticeable errors including subject-verb agreement issues ('the harvested crops fed into', 'the microbial added compound results'), missing articles ('formally refered to as ethanol'), and run-on structures ('These vehicles when operates releases substantial amount'). Punctuation slips also occur. These errors occasionally disrupt the flow but do not prevent the overall meaning from being understood, placing the grammatical performance at Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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