Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The process illustrates the production of ethanol, which is a biofuel used in many areas.

Overall, it's a cyclic process in which ethanol is produced after multiple steps. It starts with plants and trees, their further processing in laboratories, and the addition of microbes in the sugar, which leads to the final product for future use.

Initially, the process starts with the growth of trees and plants using sunlight and carbon dioxide. Then these trees are harvested and taken to the pre-processing stage for filtering and applying different procedures. After that, it is made into cellulose and processed in the laboratories to convert it into sugar.

The microbes are added to the sugar particles to make one of the most used biofuels in the form of ethanol. The ethanol is finally burned as a fuel in various cars and trucks, which release carbon dioxide, which is then mixed with the sunlight to supply to the plants, and the process repeats again.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main stages of the ethanol production process. The overview clearly highlights that it is a cyclic process involving plant growth, processing, and carbon dioxide release. The student traces the sequence from energy and plant growth, through harvesting, pre-processing, cellulose, and processing into sugars, before microbes are added to create ethanol. However, some minor details are slightly imprecise, such as mentioning that trees are 'taken to the laboratories for filtering' when the diagram simply shows pre-processing and processing in a factory setting. Overall, the main features and the cyclic nature of the process are adequately reported, satisfying the requirements for Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is coherent and presents a clear overall progression from the beginning of the process to the end and back into the cycle. Information and ideas are logically organized into four paragraphs: an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing the stages. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well to signal sequence, such as 'Initially', 'Then', 'After that', and 'Finally'. However, paragraphing is somewhat basic, and referencing could be smoother, as seen in sentences like 'After that, it is made into cellulose', where the pronoun reference is slightly loose. Nonetheless, the logical flow is maintained throughout, placing this firmly in the Band 6.5 to 7 range.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms relevant to the diagram such as 'biofuel', 'cyclic process', 'harvested', 'pre-processing', 'cellulose', 'microbes', and 'carbon dioxide'. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, though phrase choices are sometimes slightly informal or inexact, such as 'taken to the laboratories for filtering' or 'sugar particles'. Spelling and word choice errors are minimal and do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, the student could incorporate more precise academic collocations and varied vocabulary to describe industrial processes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and subordinate clauses such as 'which is a biofuel used in many areas' and 'in which ethanol is produced after multiple steps'. There is good control over basic grammar, and punctuation is generally accurate. While there are some minor awkwardness and slight errors in phrasing—such as 'supply to the plants' instead of 'absorbed by the plants'—these errors do not impede communication. A sufficient variety of structures is used to ensure the writing flows reasonably well.

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