Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-25
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 5.0)
The illustration demonstrates how a biofuel called ethanol is manufactured.
Overall, biofuel manufacturing is a man-made cyclical process. It begins with the harvesting of plants and trees, applying pre-processing and processing to harvesting material and cellulose and finally Ethanol being produced.
First of all, Sunlight and carbon dioxide is consumed by plants and trees to grow and later harvested by farmers in order to get raw material. After that, pre-processing begins at factories to produce cellulose and that is later mixed with chemicals in factories to produce sugar structures.
Following that, microbes are added in those structures in order to produce ethanol. After that, ethanol is used in automobiles and air planes to produce carbon dioxide that mix withi air t
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5
The response satisfies the minimum word count requirement of 150 words. The student attempts to summarise the main features of the ethanol production process, correctly identifying key stages such as harvesting, pre-processing, and the addition of microbes. An overview is attempted in the second paragraph, noting that it is a cyclical process. However, the summary is incomplete because the response trails off abruptly at the end ('withi air t') due to being unfinished. Furthermore, there are some inaccuracies in tracing the sequence from the diagram (e.g., confusing the sequence of cellulose and sugar production). Because the task is incomplete and under-length, Task Achievement is penalised accordingly, resulting in a band score of 4.5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The essay demonstrates some basic organisation, with an introduction and body paragraphs that attempt to follow the chronological order of the diagram. Cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'After that', and 'Following that' are used to link the steps of the process. However, paragraphing is not fully developed, and the progression is disrupted by the abrupt ending of the text. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'those structures'. Overall, while there is a discernible structure, the incomplete nature of the writing and mechanical cohesion limit coherence. A band score of 5.0 is appropriate.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for a basic description of a process, including words like 'manufactured', 'cyclical', 'harvesting', 'factories', and 'microbes'. However, the range is limited, and there are noticeable errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'harvesting material' instead of harvested material, and the incomplete final sentence ('mix withi air t'). The student attempts some less common terms like 'cellulose' and 'automobiles' taken directly from the prompt, but overall lexical control is basic. This performance aligns with a band score of 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'It begins with the harvesting of plants and trees, applying pre-processing and processing...' and 'Sunlight and carbon dioxide is consumed...'. However, there are grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('carbon dioxide is consumed' when referring to plural or joint subjects, though acceptable, other errors occur like 'air planes' as two words) and punctuation/sentence structure issues. The text also cuts off mid-sentence, leaving a fragmented structure. These errors cause some difficulty and reduce the grammatical range. A band score of 5.0 reflects these limitations.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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