Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-28
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 diagram llustrates the step by step process of biofuel production of how ethanol is made.
the first step to begin with is to plant tress and varies kind of plants and grow and once they grows they absorb sunlight and carbon dioxide from the trees and plants , once its absorbed we start harvesting the trees and begin to start our pre-processing to make cellulose once its done we start to begin with the processing through chemicals ,sugars, and microbes are added and thats how ethanol is made. Ethanol releases its carbondioxide through planes, trucks, and cars and once its realesed we begin to do the same process again to make ethanol.
Thats how the biofuel production of how ethanol is made to be done.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The response attempts to describe the process diagram showing how ethanol is produced, identifying key stages such as planting, harvesting, pre-processing, adding microbes, and fuel usage releasing carbon dioxide. However, the text suffers from a major length penalty, containing only 126 words against the 150-word minimum requirement. Furthermore, the description is overly simplistic, repetitive, and lacks a clear overview of the cyclic nature of the process. Important scientific stages from the diagram, such as cellulose and sugars, are mentioned very superficially or awkwardly woven into run-on sentences. Due to the under-length and limited development of features, the response falls into Band 5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The text lacks proper paragraphing, presented instead as a single long block of text followed by a concluding sentence. Cohesion is faulty and mechanical, relying heavily on repetitive transition phrases like 'once its done we start to begin' and 'and thats how'. The logical progression of the cycle is obscured by run-on sentences that link distinct chemical and physical steps without clear separation or punctuation. While the general sequence of steps can be vaguely followed, the lack of cohesive devices and paragraph structure keeps this criterion at Band 5.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, frequently reusing terms like 'process', 'plants', 'trees', 'carbon dioxide', and 'ethanol' without variety. There are noticeable spelling and word choice errors, such as 'llustrates' instead of 'illustrates', 'varies kind' instead of 'various kinds', and 'realesed' instead of 'released'. Attempts to use less common vocabulary are minimal, and awkward phrasing such as 'absorb sunlight and carbon dioxide from the trees and plants' demonstrates limited lexical precision. This level of vocabulary and accuracy aligns with Band 5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0
The response demonstrates a very limited range of grammatical structures, consisting almost entirely of long, run-on compound sentences joined by coordinating conjunctions and commas. There is a complete absence of complex subordinate clauses or varied punctuation. Frequent grammatical errors, such as missing capitalisation at the beginning of sentences ('the first step...'), fused sentences, and incorrect verb forms ('once they grows'), cause significant difficulty for the reader and impede fluent comprehension. Therefore, a band score of 4.0 is appropriate.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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