Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-21
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 the production of biofuel known as ethanol.
Overall, it is ostensible from the chart that this process comprises of multifarious steps, commencing with absorbtion of sunlight and carbon dioxide by plants and trees to grow and culminates with release of carbon dioxide from emissions of vehicle in atmosphere.
First and foremost step is growth of plants and trees followed by harvesting of trees. Next step is pre-processing of harvested plants converted into cellulose. After processing, cellulose splitted into sugars.
Probing further, microbes added into sugar, further release into ethanol. In the penultimate stage, ethanol is used as fuel in automobiles, cars, trucks and aircrafts. Eventually, carbon dioxide emissions released into air and again used by plants to grow up and process continues.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response satisfies the minimum word count requirement of 150 words by reaching only 125 words, which directly impacts Task Achievement. Despite this limitation, the student attempts to summarise the main features of the circular process diagram showing how ethanol is made. The overview correctly identifies that the process is a cyclical one involving multiple steps, beginning with plant growth and ending with carbon dioxide emissions. However, the explanation of several intermediate stages is somewhat abbreviated and fails to fully elaborate on all aspects of the cycle, such as the pre-processing and refining stages. Consequently, the task is addressed only partially, placing the response in Band 5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The text demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear sequence of steps from plant growth to fuel consumption. The student uses sequential transition markers such as "First and foremost step", "Next step", "Probing further", and "Eventually" to guide the reader through the diagram. However, paragraphing is underdeveloped, as the entire response is condensed into very brief paragraphs, limiting the logical progression and layout. Additionally, referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as "microbes added into sugar, further release into ethanol," which interrupts the flow of information. Cohesive devices are present but somewhat mechanical, yielding a Band 6 score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting subject-specific terms such as "cellulose", "microbes", and "emissions". However, there are notable spelling errors, such as "absorbtion" instead of "absorption", and awkward lexical choices or collocations, including "ostensible from the chart" and "splitted into sugars" instead of "split into sugars". The phrase "multifarious steps" is a good attempt at less common vocabulary, but overall word choice inaccuracies and spelling slips prevent the score from rising higher, aligning best with Band 5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response includes a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, though attempts at complex structures often contain grammatical errors. For instance, the sentence "Overall, it is ostensible from the chart that this process comprises of multifarious steps..." uses an incorrect preposition after "comprises". Other errors include missing articles, omitted auxiliary verbs, and awkward phrasing, such as "First and foremost step is growth" and "microbes added into sugar, further release into ethanol." While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently throughout the text, justifying a Band 5 score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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