Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-16
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 given man-made process chart illustrates the process of making ethnol by using plant and trees .
Overall , it is crystal clear that there are approximately 9 stages to complete the process . To commence with growing plant and tree and ended with use of ethanol by vehicles.
At a glance , plants and trees grow by using sunlight and carbondioxide . When they are ready they are harvested . After that harvested material goes to pre processing . And this plant material are converted into cellulose . These cellulose are treated in laboutries for further processing .
Moving ahead , in these cellulose sugar and microbes are added in it to form ethanol . THen ethanol is ready for used by vehicles . When vehicles use ethanol they release carbondioxide into atmosphere . This carbondioxide is absorbed by plants for their growth . Then this process start from initial stage
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student covers the main stages of the biofuel production diagram, from sunlight and plant growth through processing to ethanol usage and carbon dioxide absorption. An overview is provided, noting the cyclical nature of the process and approximately nine stages. However, there are some inaccuracies in reporting specific details from the diagram; for instance, the student states that sugar and microbes are added in the cellulose stage, whereas the diagram shows cellulose going to processing, yielding sugars, and then microbes being added separately. Additionally, some steps are slightly conflated. Nevertheless, the response successfully identifies and summarizes the main features and cyclical flow of the process. This performance aligns well with Band 6 descriptors.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response has a coherent overall arrangement, utilizing an introductory paragraph with an overview, followed by a body description tracing the steps of the cycle. Cohesive devices such as 'At a glance', 'After that', and 'Moving ahead' are used to structure the text, though some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. Paragraphing is attempted, but the text is clumped into overly dense blocks with inconsistent spacing and punctuation habits (e.g., spaces before commas, missing periods). Referencing is generally clear, but the lack of controlled paragraph breaks and occasional awkward sequencing pull the score down to Band 5.5.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, using words related to the process such as 'harvested', 'pre-processing', 'cellulose', 'processing', and 'atmosphere'. However, there are spelling errors ('ethnol' for ethanol, 'carbondioxide', 'laboutries') and word choice inaccuracies ('man-made process chart' instead of process diagram). Repetition of basic terms like 'plant and trees' and 'carbondioxide' is noticeable. The range of vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the core information, but errors in spelling and word formation place this firmly in the Band 5 category.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as conditional or participial clauses ('When they are ready they are harvested', 'When vehicles use ethanol they release...'). However, grammatical accuracy is weak throughout. There are frequent errors in subject-verb agreement ('growing plant and tree and ended', 'These cellulose are treated'), article usage ('to pre processing'), and punctuation (spaces before punctuation marks, missing capitalization). Sentence structures often lack polish and contain faulty phrasing, causing some distraction for the reader. This corresponds to a Band 5 performance.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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