Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The diagram illustrates the steps involved in how energy (sunlight and carbon dioxide) is used to make a biofuel called ethanol.
Overall, according to the diagrams, it is evident that there are several steps and some equipment required to make ethanol beginning with the energy consumption from sunlight and ending with the ethanol making and also released carbon dioxide with the help of several vehicles which again back to the initial process.
At the first stage,harvesting several plants and then these plants are consumed energy from using sunlight. After growing, these plants are taken by using tractor. After that, cellulose is made by some pre-processing steps. Next, these cellulose goes through a full processing steps and making sugars. After that, microbes are added with these sugars and finally, making ethanol.
In the second stage, ethanol is used in a vast range of vehicles,like buses, trucks, air travels (helicpter). Furthemore, these vehicles emitted carbon dioxide in air which return back to the initial stage and this circular motion is repeated day-by-day.
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 student covers the main stages of the biofuel production cycle, from sunlight energy and plant growth through processing to ethanol creation and carbon dioxide release. However, the overview is weak, containing awkward phrasing ('released carbon dioxide with the help of several vehicles which again back to the initial process') and inaccurate sequencing in the body paragraphs. For instance, the text states that plants consume energy from using sunlight after harvesting ('at the first stage, harvesting several plants and then these plants are consumed energy from using sunlight'), which reverses the actual chronological order shown in the diagram. While the response attempts to summarise the overall process, the logical flaws in sequencing and minor misinterpretations of the diagram keep it at a Band 5.5 level.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is divided into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing the stages. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'At the first stage', 'After that', and 'In the second stage' are used to structure the text. However, progression is sometimes hindered by clunky transitions and repetitive sentence structures ('After that... After that...'). Paragraphing is present and adequate for organising the flow of information, but referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the ambiguous pronoun reference in 'these plants are taken by using tractor'. Overall cohesion is mechanical, fitting the Band 6 descriptor.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, attempting topic-specific terms such as 'biofuel', 'ethanol', 'cellulose', 'processing', and 'microbes'. However, there are frequent word choice and collocation inaccuracies throughout the text, such as 'energy consumption from sunlight' instead of 'solar energy', 'consumed energy from using sunlight', and vehicles that 'emitted carbon dioxide in air'. The misuse of lexical items and awkward phrasing occasionally strain the reader's understanding, reflecting the limitations typical of a Band 5.5 response.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over grammar is inconsistent. There are numerous grammatical errors, particularly with passive voice and verb forms, such as 'these plants are consumed energy', 'these cellulose goes' (subject-verb agreement), 'these vehicles emitted carbon dioxide' (tense inconsistency), and 'which return back'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but frequent errors in basic grammar and clause construction occasionally impede communication, placing the response firmly at Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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