Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-29
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 how a biofuel ethanol is produced.
Overall, the process consists of several different stages. Beginning with the plants are harvesting and ending with the producing biofuel ethanol. The process involves both mechanical and chemical stages such as, harvesting, pre-processing, cellulose, processing and adding microbes and finally producing alcohol.
Initially, trees are absorbing energy such as sunlight, carbon dioxide. Then plants and trees are growing. After that, plants are harvested using tractor. After being harvested, plants are pre-processed using mechanical process and cellulose is made. Subsequently, cellulose is processed to chemical processing. Finally, sugars are produced and then microbes are added. The process ends with, ethanol is manufactured and it used to car, truck and airplane. This process has been continued. Vehicles are produced carbon dioxide and then it transferred to the atmosphere. After that, trees and plants are breathed to carbon dioxide and sunlight then plants are growing.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response covers all the main stages of the biofuel production cycle, from the initial growth of plants powered by sunlight and carbon dioxide, through harvesting, pre-processing, cellulose formation, processing into sugars, and fermentation with microbes, to the final production of ethanol and its combustion in vehicles releasing carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. The student provides a clear overall summary of the cyclical nature of the process. However, some aspects of the explanation are slightly confused or mechanical, such as stating 'plants are harvesting' and describing carbon dioxide absorption as 'breathed to carbon dioxide and sunlight'. While the key features are present, the development is limited by awkward phrasing and slight inaccuracies in detailing the inputs and outputs at specific steps. Overall, the response addresses the prompt adequately, earning a Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay has a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical chronological progression from the beginning of the cycle to the end. The writer attempts to guide the reader using cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'Then', 'After that', 'Subsequently', and 'Finally'. However, paragraphing is underdeveloped, with the body paragraphs clumped together rather than clearly separated into distinct phases of the diagram. Furthermore, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical, as seen in awkward transitions like 'The process ends with, ethanol is manufactured and it used to car...' and 'This process has been continued.' Because the organizational framework is visible but cohesion is frequently awkward and paragraphing is weak, the response fits the Band 5.5 criteria.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, incorporating process-related terms such as 'harvesting', 'pre-processing', 'cellulose', 'processing', 'sugars', 'microbes', and 'ethanol'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation errors throughout the text, such as 'plants are harvesting' instead of 'harvested', 'chemical processing' instead of 'chemical conversion', and 'breathed to carbon dioxide' instead of 'absorb carbon dioxide'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success and some unnatural phrasing. While communication is not severely impeded, these lexical inaccuracies restrict the score to Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar is weak. There are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with voice and verb forms, such as 'Beginning with the plants are harvesting', 'trees are absorbing', 'plants are harvested using tractor' (missing article), and 'it used to car' (missing preposition and auxiliary verb). Passive structures are frequently mishandled, and prepositional use is unreliable (e.g., 'breathed to carbon dioxide'). These persistent errors cause difficulty for the reader at times and place the response firmly in the Band 5.0 range.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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