Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-22
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 illustrates the process involved in production of biofuel called ethanol.
Overall, plants and trees are harvested and undergoes different steps for the formation of ethanol which further gets distribute as carbondioxide. The cycle involves several steps such as pre-processing, cellulose formation, processing, sugars formation and addition of microbes. The cycle repeats itself.
Energy which contain sunlight and carbondioxide are distributed to the plants and trees which helps them to grow. The grown plants and trees are harvested through machines or human beings. The harvested plants undergoes pre-processing which further form cellulose. The obtained cellulose is taken for the processing. The cellulose is converted into sugars. The sugars are mixed with the micro organisms and the mixing of microbes and sugars formed ethanol which is the required product of this process. After the formation of ethanol, carbondoxide is distributes and combine with sunlight to give energy after which the cycle repeats.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student covers all main parts of the process diagram, from plant growth and harvesting through pre-processing, cellulose formation, processing, and microbe addition to ethanol production and carbon dioxide release. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, outlining the cyclical nature of the process. However, some minor inaccuracies exist in reporting the sequence, such as stating that ethanol 'further gets distribute as carbondioxide', which misrepresents the emissions stage where vehicles release carbon dioxide. Ideas are generally clear, but some descriptions of the stages are slightly mechanical. Overall, the task is adequately addressed, satisfying the requirements for a Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into an introduction, an overview, and a body paragraph detailing the steps in chronological order. Cohesive devices are used to link the stages together, such as 'which further form', 'The obtained cellulose', and 'After the formation of ethanol'. However, referencing and progression are occasionally repetitive or mechanical, relying heavily on formulas like 'The [noun] is...' to transition between sentences. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to structure the response, resulting in a coherent overall arrangement that earns a Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for describing a simple cyclical process, featuring relevant terms like 'harvested', 'pre-processing', 'cellulose', 'micro organisms', and 'ethanol'. There are, however, noticeable word-choice and collocation errors, such as 'distribute as carbondioxide' instead of 'emitted as carbon dioxide', and spelling/morphology issues like 'carbondioxide', 'micro organisms' (written as two words elsewhere or hyphenated incorrectly), and 'formed' instead of 'forms'. Less common lexical items are attempted but lack precision. This matches the criteria for Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses ('which helps them to grow', 'which is the required product') and participial phrases. However, grammatical errors are frequent throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('plants and trees are harvested and undergoes', 'Energy which contain'), missing articles ('the formation of ethanol'), and awkward phrasing ('Energy which contain sunlight and carbondioxide are distributed'). While these errors do not severely impede communication, they persist across multiple sentences, 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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