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 illustration depicts a map showing the cycle of ethanol from its source to production, through processing, to it being released back to the enviroment.
Overall, the map is showing various steps of ethanol manufacturing and how it is specifically sourced and produced for fuel consumption and as a result is released back to the enviroment.
Firstly, the initial stages of ethanol sourcing starts from harvesting grown plants and trees and put through a machine processor. At the same time, when the processor turns the harvested vegetation into smaller components like cellulose some smaller portion of carbon dioxide is releaed into the atmosphere. Subequently, chemical processing of processed subunits take palce which results in sugars. Additionally, Microbiomes are added to these sugar and ethanol is liberated. In the end, the liberated ethanol is used as the major biofeul component to power vehicles like cars, trucks and aeroplanes.
The end-product of the whole process is carbon dioxide which is released back to the enviroment and become food source for plants to grow and so the process starts again.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student attempts to describe the circular diagram illustrating the production of ethanol. While the main stages—such as harvesting, processing into cellulose, sugar extraction, microbe addition, and the subsequent use of ethanol leading to carbon dioxide release—are identified, the overview is rather simplistic and refers to the diagram as a 'map' rather than a process or cycle diagram. Furthermore, some minor details from the visual are slightly misinterpreted or awkwardly described, such as stating that carbon dioxide is released during pre-processing (which is not explicitly supported by the label arrow placement at that exact micro-step). Nonetheless, the response covers the overall flow of the process reasonably well, fulfilling the basic requirements of Task Achievement at a Band 6 level.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into four paragraphs, which provides a logical structure overall: an introduction, a general overview, a body paragraph detailing the steps, and a concluding sentence explaining the recycling of carbon dioxide. However, cohesive devices and referencing are occasionally mechanical or slightly faulty (e.g., 'the map is showing', 'In the end, the liberated ethanol...'). Paragraphing could also be handled more naturally, as the final single-sentence paragraph is a bit abrupt. Progression is generally clear, but connections between sentences occasionally feel disjointed. This aligns well with the descriptors for Band 6.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common technical terms such as 'harvesting', 'cellulose', 'microbiomes', and 'liberated'. However, there are noticeable spelling errors ('enviroment' instead of environment, 'Subequently' instead of Subsequently, 'biofeul' instead of biofuel) and occasional awkward word choices (e.g., 'map' used to describe a process diagram). While the range is sufficient to convey the main points, the lexical errors and repetitive phrasing prevent the score from reaching a higher band. This represents solid Band 6 performance.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures (e.g., 'At the same time, when the processor turns the harvested vegetation... some smaller portion of carbon dioxide is releaed'). There are several grammatical errors and typos throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('stages... starts' instead of start), missing articles or prepositions ('put through a machine processor'), and spelling errors in verb forms ('releaed', 'take palce'). These errors do not seriously impede communication, but they occur frequently enough to typify the Band 6 descriptor where simple and complex forms are mixed with occasional persistent mistakes.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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