Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-26

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)

This diagram shows how ethanol is produced repeatedly in a cycle. There are total 6 stages in this cycle. First of all, the crops, trees, and plant grows using sunlight and carbon dioxide from envirnoment which is then harvested, this was the first stage. Next, the harvested crops are then pre-processed in factories to extract cellulose from it. Then, this cellulose is processed in laboratories to make sugar from it. And then, microbes are added into these sugars to make ethanol. So, finally the ethanol is produced and is then used by cars, trucks, and airplanes in the form of fuel. as the engine consume the ethanol it produces carbon dioxide as a by product and then this carbon dioxide is used again by the tree and plants. so this was the complete cycle of ethanol production.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The student successfully identifies the main stages of the biofuel production cycle, describing how plants grow, are harvested, pre-processed into cellulose, processed into sugars, and converted into ethanol using microbes. The role of vehicles in consuming ethanol and releasing carbon dioxide back into the cycle is also captured. However, the response falls short of the 150-word minimum, containing only 137 words. Additionally, the description is somewhat overly narrative and conversational rather than maintaining a strictly formal academic tone, and the overview lacks a concise summary statement of the entire circular process. Consequently, these limitations prevent the response from achieving a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The text maintains a coherent overall arrangement by following the chronological sequence of the diagram from plant growth to fuel consumption and carbon dioxide recycling. Cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'Next', 'Then', and 'So, finally' are used to guide the reader through the stages. However, paragraphing is absent, as the entire response is written as a single block of text. Furthermore, some transitional phrases feel mechanical and conversational, which detracts from the formal cohesion expected in an Academic Task 1 response.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range to describe the process, successfully incorporating terms such as 'harvested', 'pre-processed', 'cellulose', 'microbes', and 'by-product'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors, such as 'envirnoment' instead of 'environment' and 'plant grows' instead of 'plants grow'. The vocabulary tends to be somewhat basic and repetitive, lacking the sophisticated lexical variety and precise collocations required to reach a higher band level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses ('using sunlight and carbon dioxide from envirnoment which is then harvested') and passive constructions ('ethanol is produced'). There are several grammatical errors and punctuation issues, including subject-verb agreement errors ('the crops, trees, and plant grows'), missing articles, and run-on sentences joined informally with 'so' and conversational framing ('so this was the complete cycle'). Despite these errors, meaning is generally clear and communication is not seriously impeded.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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