Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-18

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 figure illustrates the entire process of ethanol production.It is evident from the figure that the process works in loop. Carbondioxide that is released by ethanol in vehicles is also used in ethanol formation. The process of this biofuel formation consists of multiple different stages. Firstly, the plants and trees grow by receiving sunlight and carbondioxide from their surroundings. After this, the trees are harvested and go through the process of pre-processing which accounts for third stage in ethanol formation. The pre-processed plants and trees are then converted into cellulose. The cellulose is then taken to laboratories where scientists perform procedure and convert cellulose into sugar. They add microbes into sugar which finally gives ethanol. The addition of microbes is the last stage in ethanol formation. This ethanol is used by different vehicles which include cars,trucks and airplanes. After consuming ethanol, these vehicles release carbondioxide into air which is then consumed by plants.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the ethanol production process and noting the cyclical nature of carbon dioxide. The overview is clearly stated at the beginning, noting that 'the process works in loop.' Key stages are identified from the initial growth of plants, through harvesting, pre-processing, conversion to cellulose, and processing into sugars, up to the addition of microbes and final use in vehicles. While some minor details are slightly simplified, such as introducing extraneous narrative elements like 'laboratories where scientists perform procedure,' the response covers the central progression and key comparisons/relationships required by the prompt, earning a solid Band 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a clear overall progression, guiding the reader through the cyclical process using sequencing markers such as 'Firstly', 'After this', 'then', and 'finally'. However, the coherence is somewhat hampered by poor paragraphing; the entire body of the text is presented as a single block rather than being divided into logical paragraphs for different phases of the cycle. Cohesive devices are generally functional, but referencing and substitution are occasionally repetitive, such as the frequent repetition of 'the process' and 'ethanol formation'. Overall organization is coherent, but paragraphing deficiencies limit the score to a Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terms such as 'ethanol', 'cellulose', 'microbes', and 'carbondioxide'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, though some word choices and collocations are slightly unnatural or inaccurate, such as 'works in loop' instead of 'operates in a loop' or 'forms a closed loop'. Additionally, spacing and compounding errors occur, notably writing 'carbondioxide' as a single unspaced word. Despite these flaws, the vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main ideas clearly, meeting the requirements for Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses ('that is released by ethanol in vehicles') and passive constructions ('are harvested', 'are then converted'). There are several grammatical errors and punctuation oversights, including missing spaces after full stops (e.g., 'production.It') and occasional article omissions or awkward phrasing ('go through the process of pre-processing which accounts for third stage'). However, these errors rarely impede overall communication, allowing the response to comfortably achieve a Band 6.0.

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