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)
The diagrammatic representation illustrates that how biofuel a substance known as ethanol is produced. Ethanol production is a cyclical process.
At first glance, it is abundantly clear that firstly, energy includes sunlight and carbondioxide help plants and tree to grow. Secondly, trees and plants are undergone the process of harvesting by a harvestor and then, a substance called cellulose is produced before the processing sugars takes place.
Moving further, after processing of sugar microbes then added for further process. Finally, ethanol is produced. After that, ethanol is used to operate different modes of transports which then, produce carbon dioxide.
Overall, all the steps of this process is important as well as interlinked to each other. The omission of even a single step would halt the whole procedure. Moreover, this process includes almost 6 steps in totality which begins with the harvesting of plants and culminates with the formation of ethanol.
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 covers the main stages of the diagram, beginning with sunlight and plant growth, moving through harvesting, pre-processing, cellulose formation, processing into sugars, adding microbes, and finally producing ethanol which is used by vehicles to release carbon dioxide back into the cycle. However, the description contains some inaccuracies in mapping the exact sequence, such as stating that 'cellulose is produced before the processing sugars takes place' rather than distinguishing cellulose and sugars correctly as intermediate stages. Additionally, the overview provided in the final paragraph focuses on abstract generalisations ('all the steps of this process is important') rather than summarising the main overall trend or nature of the cyclical process. Consequently, the task is only partially satisfied in terms of selecting and reporting the core features accurately.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay is divided into paragraphs, which helps structure the response visually. Cohesive devices are employed to signal progression, such as 'At first glance', 'Moving further', and 'Finally'. However, the logical progression is sometimes hindered by awkward referencing and phrasing, for instance in the opening sentence ('illustrates that how biofuel...'). Paragraphing is also somewhat unconventional, as the final paragraph mixes an overarching observation with a tally of steps. Overall, the arrangement is coherent enough to follow, but cohesion is occasionally mechanical and faulty, placing it securely within Band 6.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, incorporating topic-specific terms like 'biofuel', 'ethanol', 'cellulose', 'harvesting', and 'carbon dioxide'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'trees are undergone the process' instead of 'undergo the process', and 'harvestor' (spelling error for harvester). Less common lexical items are attempted but lack precision or accurate form ('diagrammatic representation', 'in totality'). The range is sufficient to communicate the main points, but errors in spelling and word formation prevent it from reaching a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The text demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but it is marred by frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'illustrates that how biofuel a substance known as ethanol is produced' (faulty subordinate clause structure), 'energy includes sunlight and carbondioxide help' (subject-verb agreement error), and 'all the steps of this process is important' (singular/plural agreement). While some complex structures are attempted, frequent errors in verb forms, prepositions, and agreement occasionally strain the reader, aligning the performance with Band 5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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