Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-20
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 diagram shows the production of biofuel which is called as ethanol.It consists of different indispensable steps .First of all,plants and trees are grown by farmers using sufficient amout of sunlight and carbon dioxide which is necessary for the proper growth of plants and trees.After trees and plants are fully grown, they are harvetsed by the farmers.Pre-processing process occurs which leads to the formation of cellulose.After further processing with the help of different chemicals, sugar is produced.After the production of sugar, microbes are added which transforms into the production of ethanol.Ethanol is a very useful biofuel .It is used in variety of different vehicles such as cars ,trucks and areoplanes.These vehicles in turn then releases the significant proportion of very important gas which is called as carbon dioxide.Carbon dioxide is then added to the atmosphere which is used by different plants and trees and the cycle is repeated 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 successfully identifies the main purpose of the diagram, which illustrates the cyclical process of biofuel (ethanol) production. Key stages such as plant growth, harvesting, pre-processing, cellulose formation, sugar processing, microbe addition, and ethanol creation are reported in sequential order. Additionally, the student notes the end-use in vehicles and the release of carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere to restart the cycle. However, the response lacks an effective overview paragraph summarizing the overall nature of the process as a closed-loop cycle, which is essential for reaching higher band scores. The information is generally accurate and grounded in the visual data, though the presentation of features is somewhat basic and lists steps rather than synthesising them.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The text demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement by following the chronological steps of the diagram from start to finish. Cohesive devices are used to sequence the information, such as "First of all", "After trees and plants are fully grown", and "After the production of sugar". However, the text is presented as a single dense paragraph rather than being appropriately divided into logical paragraphs (e.g., separating the upstream growth and processing stages from the downstream usage and carbon dioxide cycle). Furthermore, referencing is occasionally repetitive, with phrases like "After..." starting multiple consecutive sentences, which makes the cohesion somewhat mechanical.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying the basic steps of the diagram using terms like "indispensable steps", "cellulose", "microbes", and "biofuel". However, there are notable word choice and spelling errors, such as writing "called as" instead of "called", "amout" instead of "amount", and "harvetsed" instead of "harvested". The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying heavily on everyday terms rather than demonstrating flexible use of less common lexical items appropriate for a process diagram.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses ("which is necessary for the proper growth") and passive voice constructions ("are grown", "are harvested", "is produced"). However, there are frequent grammatical errors and punctuation issues throughout the text, including missing spaces after punctuation marks (e.g., "ethanol.It", "steps .First"), subject-verb agreement issues ("these vehicles in turn then releases"), and awkward phrasing ("transforms into the production of ethanol"). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they lower the overall accuracy of the writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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