Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-23

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 6.5)

The provided diagram reveals the method of ethanol production from organic matter such as plants and trees.

Overall, the process can be divided into three stages namely harvesting, processing and final touches. It begins with the growth of plants and trees utilising sunlight and carbon dioxide. The process ends with the ethanol being used by different forms of transport producing carbon dioxide.

In the first stage, the organic matter is harvested with the help of tractors; subsequently, this harvested matter under goes pre-processing to extract cellulose from it. Afterwards in second stage, this extracted cellulose is transported for further chemical processing to produce sugar from it. This marks the end of processing stage and microbes are added to the mixture to produce the final product of ethanol.

The end product is then consumed by vehicles like cars, trucks and airplanes for human and freight transport. Thus, producing carbon dioxide as a by-product which continues the cycle by fueling the growth of plants and trees.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student successfully covers all the main stages of the biofuel production diagram, from the initial growth of plants and trees using sunlight and carbon dioxide, through harvesting, pre-processing, cellulose extraction, chemical processing into sugars, and finally the addition of microbes to produce ethanol. The overview correctly identifies the cyclical nature of the process, noting how transport vehicles produce carbon dioxide which feeds back into plant growth. While the breakdown into three stages ('harvesting, processing and final touches') is slightly informal in phrasing, the key features and the overall progression are accurately reported and well-supported by the visual data. The response meets all the core requirements of Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression that mirrors the steps in the cyclical diagram. The introduction outlines the process effectively, and the body paragraphs follow a chronological sequence ('In the first stage', 'Afterwards in second stage', 'The end product is then'). Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the early mechanical and chemical phases from the final consumption phase. Cohesive devices such as 'subsequently', 'afterwards', and referencing pronouns ('this harvested matter', 'the end product') are used reasonably well, though transitions could be slightly more sophisticated to reach a higher band.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a process diagram, incorporating subject-specific terms such as 'organic matter', 'pre-processing', 'cellulose', 'microbes', and 'by-product'. There are a few minor lexical and collocation slips, such as 'under goes' (spelled as two words) and 'final touches' which sounds a bit unnatural for an industrial process. However, the vocabulary is sufficient to allow the reader to follow the explanation easily without misinterpretation, demonstrating reasonable precision and control over less common lexical items.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and participial phrases (e.g., 'utilising sunlight and carbon dioxide', 'produced by different forms of transport producing'). Grammatical control is generally good, though there are a few minor mechanical errors, such as missing articles ('in second stage' instead of 'in the second stage'), a hyphenation error ('under goes'), and a minor punctuation issue leading to a fragmented or slightly run-on clause structure at the end ('Thus, producing carbon dioxide...'). Nonetheless, these errors do not impede communication, and the majority of sentences are grammatically sound.

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