Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The diagram illustrates the various stages involved in the production of biofuel ie.ethanol from natural resourses.
It is evident, that the entire process consist of various stages,begining with harvesting of plants and tress and culminating in production of ethanol.
At the begning of the process, plants and trees are grown while consuming energy from sunlight and carbon dioxide. Following this, mature plants are harvasted with tractors.Subsequently, harvested trees are pre- processed, tiny particles are obtained which are further converted to cellulose strands.
These cellulose compounds are deliverd to labs where they are chemically processed into sugar molecules. Afterwards, microbes are subjected to sugars, as a result Ethanol is produced . This biofuel is supplied to varities of transportation services such as aeroplanes,trucks and cars which in turn releases carbon dioxide ,the released co2 is reused by plants to grow.This systematic and circular process ensures the efficient production of ethanol from trees and plants .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The student successfully covers all the key stages of the process diagram, from the initial growth of plants using sunlight and carbon dioxide to harvesting, pre-processing, chemical treatment, and the final production and use of ethanol. The overview is clearly stated at the beginning, noting that it is a systematic and circular process. The student reports the main features accurately without omitting critical steps, fulfilling the requirements for Task Achievement well. However, the explanation could be slightly more concise in places, but overall all aspects of the visual data are addressed satisfactorily, matching the criteria for a Band 6.5 or solid 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a clear overall progression, moving logically from the start to the end of the biofuel production cycle. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction from the body of the process. Cohesive devices such as 'Following this', 'Subsequently', and 'Afterwards' are employed to guide the reader through the sequence. However, there are minor issues with cohesion and referencing, and some mechanical punctuation errors (e.g., missing spaces after commas, such as 'evident, that' and 'ie.ethanol'). Paragraph breaks could also be structured with greater sophistication to ensure a seamless flow.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student attempts a range of vocabulary suitable for a process diagram, using terms such as 'cultivation', 'harvested', 'cellulose compounds', 'molecules', and 'transportation services'. There are some spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'resourses' instead of 'resources', 'begining' instead of 'beginning', 'tress' instead of 'trees', 'harvasted' instead of 'harvested', and 'varities' instead of 'varieties'. Furthermore, 'ie.ethanol' contains formatting and spacing errors. Despite these slips, the vocabulary is adequate to communicate the core processes, aligning with the Band 6 descriptor.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, using passive voice effectively in places (e.g., 'microbes are subjected to sugars, as a result Ethanol is produced'). However, there are notable grammatical and punctuation inaccuracies throughout. Examples include 'consist of' instead of 'consists of', comma splices ('It is evident, that the entire process consist of...'), and incorrect preposition use or missing articles ('deliverd to labs', 'subjected to sugars'). Complex structures are attempted, but frequent mechanical errors in punctuation and agreement prevent the score from reaching a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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