Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The process diagram illustrates the procedure of producing biofuel or ethanol.

Overall, the procedure begins with the plantation of plants and usage of sunlight and carbon dioxide to grow, and ends with the final product called biofuel. Vehicles burn ethanol and release CO2 in the environment, which will be used again by the plants.

The initial stages consist of cultivation of plants at the largest level. These plants use energy in the form of sunlight and carbon dioxide to grow. After a specific time interval, farmers harvest the grown trees and move harvested trees to a factory. A dedicated machine extracts raw material, which will be used as pre-processing product to prepare cellulose. A product named sugar has produced after processing cellulose.

Furthermore, microbes are added to the sugar in order to produce the final product ethanol. Biofuel, thereafter will be delivered to petrol stations. Vehicles such as cars, trucks, and planes refill fuel tanks with ethanol and release carbon dioxide into atmosphere. This released CO2 will again help new plants..

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student successfully covers all key stages of the biofuel production cycle shown in the diagram, from the initial growth of plants using sunlight and carbon dioxide to harvesting, pre-processing, cellulose creation, processing into sugars, adding microbes to produce ethanol, and the final release of CO2 through vehicle transport. An adequate overview is provided in the second paragraph, highlighting that the process is a continuous cycle where plants grow, biofuel is consumed by vehicles, and carbon dioxide is returned to the atmosphere to be reused. While the response accurately reflects the main features of the diagram, some descriptions of mechanical actions are slightly generalized or simplified compared to the source chart. However, all parts of the prompt are addressed competently.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized into four distinct paragraphs, presenting a clear overall progression from the introduction to the final steps of the cycle. Information flows reasonably well through the stages of the process. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'The initial stages', 'Furthermore', and 'thereafter' are used to connect ideas, though referencing and transitions can occasionally feel slightly mechanical or abrupt. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, overview, and body details, resulting in a coherent text that is easy to follow overall.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terminology such as 'biofuel', 'ethanol', 'cellulose', 'microbes', and 'carbon dioxide'. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, though certain word choices and collocations are slightly unnatural or inaccurate, such as 'plantation of plants' instead of 'cultivation of plants' or 'usage of sunlight', and the grammatical error 'sugar has produced'. Spelling is mostly accurate, and communication is never impeded by lexical inadequacies, demonstrating a functional command of vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and subordinate structures successfully in sentences such as 'These plants use energy in the form of sunlight and carbon dioxide to grow.' However, there are several grammatical inaccuracies and awkward phrasings, such as the passive voice error 'A product named sugar has produced' instead of 'is produced', and missing articles or punctuation slips like the double period at the end of the text. Despite these errors, they rarely impede communication, and simple structures are generally well-controlled.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.