Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-30

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 mentioned diagram shows the complete cycle of ethanol, how its produced and utilized by nature and humans.

At beginning, plants and trees grows which intakes energy including carbon dioxide(a gas) and sunlight, Secondly, those trees are now cut off or harvest by the help of harvester, Now that harvested material mostly includes the leave or plant part goes through machine which converts the material into cellulose.

At this point, that cellulose is now go through a processing facility where the cellulose is converted into sugars, And then add Microbes into the sugar to make ethanol, Finally ethanol is now completely made and ready to use in different ways such as : Airplanes, Trucks, and Cars which use ethanol as fuel to make their engine work and when the engine works it burn that ethanol and again produce carbon dioxide as a by product that again make up to environment and the cycle is again started, so this is what this cycle is showing about the process.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response successfully covers all the main stages of the biofuel production cycle shown in the diagram, beginning with plants and trees absorbing sunlight and carbon dioxide, progressing through harvesting, pre-processing into cellulose, processing into sugars, the addition of microbes, and finally the production and utilization of ethanol. Key features such as the release of carbon dioxide from vehicles and its absorption by plants are reported. However, the overview lacks a clear summary statement at the beginning or end of the response, and some descriptions are slightly colloquial or lack precision (e.g., describing how ethanol is utilized in airplanes, trucks, and cars). Despite these minor omissions in overall synthesis, the response adequately satisfies the task requirements, earning a band score of 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement by following the chronological steps of the circular diagram. Progression is attempted using transitional markers such as 'At beginning', 'Secondly', 'At this point', and 'Finally'. However, paragraphing is poorly handled, as the entire middle section of the process is crammed into a single run-on sentence. Cohesive devices are sometimes faulty or mechanical, and referencing (such as 'that cellulose is now go through') is occasionally unclear or repetitive. Paragraph breaks are needed to separate the initial growth phase from the industrial processing and ultimate consumption stages. Based on these organizational shortcomings, a band score of 5.0 is appropriate.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate to describe the steps of the diagram, featuring relevant terms like 'harvest', 'cellulose', 'processing facility', 'microbes', and 'byproduct'. However, there are noticeable lexical and word-formation errors throughout the text, such as 'how its produced' instead of 'how it is produced', 'harvester' instead of 'harvesting equipment', and awkward phrasing like 'the cycle is again made up to environment'. Less common lexical items are attempted but lack precision or accurate collocation. While communication is not heavily impeded, the frequency of word-choice and morphological errors places this response firmly at a band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but grammatical accuracy is weak. There are frequent errors in verb tense, agreement, and voice, such as 'plants and trees grows', 'those trees are now cut off or harvest', 'cellulose is now go through', and 'and when the engine works it burn that ethanol'. Punctuation is also problematic, marked by run-on sentences and comma splices, especially in the final paragraph. While the writer attempts relative clauses and compound sentences, the high frequency of basic grammatical slips causes some difficulty for the reader and prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Therefore, a band score of 5.0 is awarded.

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