Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-19
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 picture presents how ethanol is produced from plants and trees and where is it used.
Overall, the fuel making process starts with the harvest of plants and trees, which captures carbon dioxide from the environment. After some steps of processing it finally ends it's journey as ethanol fuel, which then converted to carbon dioxide after being burned as fuel and released to the environment.
Plants and trees captures carbon dioxide to grow and for metabolism. After harvesting the plants and tress, the remaining of it is used for making the fuel. The process starts with the pre-processing of the harvest remaining, which produces cellulose. After processing the cellulose, it is converted to sugars. Microbes are added to the suger. Which will evantually transfrom the sugar into ethanol.
The ethanol that are produced, can be used in various vehicles like cars, trucks and aeroplane. The fuels are burned in the engines of the vehicles which after combustion, produces carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide then released to the environment. Which again captured by the plants and tress to grow. So, it can be seen that it is a cyclic process.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student successfully covers all the main features of the diagram, outlining the circular process of biofuel production from plants and trees through to harvesting, pre-processing, cellulose conversion, sugar extraction, microbe addition, and finally ethanol creation and its combustion into carbon dioxide. An overview is present in the second paragraph, highlighting the cyclical nature of the process. However, some minor inaccuracies in expression occur, such as stating that 'the remaining of it is used' rather than referring to the harvested biomass. Overall, the response adequately addresses the prompt, satisfying the requirements for Task Achievement at a Band 6.5 level.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is logically organized into four paragraphs: an introduction, an overview, a description of the first half of the process, and a description of the second half including the cycle's conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'After some steps', and 'The ethanol that are produced' are used to connect ideas, though referencing is sometimes faulty (e.g., 'Microbes are added to the suger. Which will evantually transfrom...' creates a sentence fragment). Paragraphing is logical and helps guide the reader through the stages of the diagram, resulting in a coherent overall arrangement that earns a Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully incorporating process-specific terms from the diagram such as 'harvesting', 'pre-processing', 'cellulose', 'sugars', 'microbes', and 'combustion'. However, there are several spelling and word choice errors, including 'suger' instead of sugar, 'evantually' instead of eventually, and 'transfrom' instead of transform. The range is sufficient to describe the process, but lexical control is inconsistent, placing the response firmly at Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses ('the ethanol that are produced') and adverbial clauses of time. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('Plants and trees captures'), incorrect auxiliary use ('where is it used'), and fragment sentences ('Which will evantually transfrom...'). Punctuation is also occasionally faulty with misplaced full stops breaking up dependent clauses. These errors occasionally impede smooth reading, justifying a Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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