Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-17
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)
Th diagram illustrates how ethanol is manufactured. It outlines the various stages involved begnning with the use of energy (sunlight or carbon dioxide) and culminating in the ethanol.
Overall the process consists of 7 stages. it begins with energy that consumed by plants and trees and ends with carbon dioxide. Several procedures are involved before the final product is obtained.
Initially, the energy is consumed by plants and trees cultivation. After the growth, the next step is transferred to harvesting the mature plants. The pre-processing is done by using the pieces of trees that cuts by machines to prepare cellulose. After that, the cellulose is transferred into processing phase in which, they use different chemicals to produce sugars. Microbes were added with sugar to make the final stage of ethanol.
After the production of ethanol, it is used as a biofuel in planes,trucks and in cars for transportation perposes. Furthermore, they emitted the carbondioxide into air, that can cause air pollution
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 covers all key parts of the task by reporting the main stages of the biofuel production cycle shown in the diagram, beginning with energy and plants, moving through pre-processing, cellulose, processing, sugars, and microbes, and ending with ethanol usage and carbon dioxide release. An overview is attempted in the second paragraph ('Overall the process consists of 7 stages...'). However, the description contains some minor inaccuracies in tracing the exact steps and mechanisms, such as stating 'energy (sunlight or carbon dioxide)' instead of sunlight and carbon dioxide combined, and introducing extraneous outside information in the final sentence ('that can cause air pollution'), which goes beyond reporting the visual data. Nevertheless, the main features are sufficiently reported to meet the requirements for a Band 6.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is arranged coherently into four paragraphs, following a logical progression from introduction to overview, body stages, and final applications. Cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'After the growth', 'After that', and 'Furthermore' are used to connect ideas, though some referencing and transitions are a bit mechanical or imprecise (e.g., 'the next step is transferred to harvesting'). Paragraphing is used appropriately to structure the essay. While the organization is clear overall, the mechanical nature of some cohesive links keeps this criterion at Band 6.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common technical items related to the diagram such as 'pre-processing', 'cellulose', 'processing', and 'microbes'. However, there are noticeable spelling errors ('Th' for 'The', 'begnning', 'perposes', 'carbondioxide') and occasional word choice/collocation issues, such as 'trees that cuts by machines' and 'energy that consumed'. These errors do not impede overall communication, but they restrict the lexical score to a Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses and passive constructions ('is manufactured', 'Microbes were added'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb forms, voice, and prepositions (e.g., 'energy is consumed by plants and trees cultivation', 'the next step is transferred to harvesting', 'pieces of trees that cuts by machines', 'Microbes were added with sugar'). Punctuation and article usage also show occasional lapses (e.g., missing articles before nouns like 'ethanol' or 'pre-processing'). These errors persist throughout the text, placing the response firmly at Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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