Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The diagram illustrates the production of biofuel called ethanol, from mixture of sunlight and carbon dioxide to delivering the ethanol using different modes of transport.
Overall, there are several stages involved in the production of ethanol. The process starts with the energy produced by the mixture of sunlight and carbon dioxide and ends with transporting the ethanol.
First, Vehicles like plane, car and truck releases the carbon dioxide and mixed with sunlight which produced energy. After that, plants and trees grow by using energy. It is then harvest and passed through the machine, then do preprocessing to produced seeds.
In the next stage, cellulose is made by using that seeds. It is then treated with chemicals to make sugars. Following this, microbes are added in the sugar and ethanol is made.
Finally, this ethanol is transported by different types of vehicles, such as cars, trucks and plane which also releases the carbon dioxide.
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 response successfully covers all main stages of the process diagram, from the initial growth of plants using sunlight and carbon dioxide to the final transport of ethanol and the release of carbon dioxide back into the cycle. An overview is provided in the second sentence, outlining the start and end of the process. However, some details are slightly inaccurate or inappropriately described based on the diagram, such as mentioning 'seeds' and 'preprocessing' in a way not clearly supported by the visual data, and stating that vehicles mix with sunlight to produce energy. Nevertheless, the main features of the circular process are adequately highlighted and reported, fulfilling the core requirements of Task 1.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay is divided into paragraphs that attempt to follow the logical stages of the diagram. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'First', 'After that', 'In the next stage', 'Following this', and 'Finally' are used to sequence the steps. However, paragraphing is somewhat basic and the overall logical progression is occasionally hindered by awkward transitions and confusing sentence construction, such as the sudden jump between transport and energy production in the third paragraph. Referencing is sometimes unclear, but the overall arrangement remains coherent enough to follow the sequence of events.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, incorporating process-specific terms such as 'production', 'stages', 'cellulose', 'sugars', 'microbes', and 'transported'. However, there are noticeable lexical and collocational inaccuracies throughout the text, such as 'from mixture of sunlight' (missing article), 'energy produced by the mixture', and 'harvest' instead of 'harvested'. Attempts to use less common vocabulary are constrained by awkward word choices and preposition errors, which restrict the lexical score to a Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The text displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent. There are several noticeable grammatical errors, particularly regarding subject-verb agreement and voice, such as 'Vehicles like plane, car and truck releases' (plural/singular mismatch and missing articles), 'then do preprocessing to produced seeds' (incorrect tense/form), and 'microbes are added in the sugar' (inappropriate preposition). While these errors do not completely impede communication, their frequency prevents the response from reaching a higher band score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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