Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-01
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 6.0)
The picture illustrates how a biofuel called ethanol is made.
Overall, the process diagram consists of main 7 stages, starts with plants and trees grow by absorbing energy and carbon dioxide and ends with microbes added to sugars for ethanol production.
Looking at the details, the plants and trees grow by taking energy from sunlight and carbon dioxide. On the next stage, harvesting of plants and trees take place by using the tractors. The next step is pre-processing of the harvested plants and trees in the machines.
After pre-processing, cellulose is released by the machines. After that, processing of the cellulose takes place in the labortaries which produces sugars. At the final step, microbes are added to sugars to produce ethanol. Ethanol is a type of biofuel. Finally, ethanol is utilized by cars, trucks and aircrafts which release carbon dioxide in the air. Released carbon dioxide is reused by plants and trees and cyclic process starts again.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by providing an overview of the cyclical biofuel production process and reporting the main stages from plant growth to ethanol consumption and carbon dioxide release. The summary covers the key features, such as harvesting, pre-processing, cellulose extraction, processing into sugars, and the addition of microbes. However, the development is slightly uneven; some stages are described rather mechanically without deeper synthesis or comparison. To reach a higher band, the description would need to integrate the data more fluidly and highlight the broader environmental loop with greater analytical depth.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The text presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear sequence of steps that mirrors the diagram. The writer attempts to guide the reader using sequencing language such as 'Overall', 'Looking at the details', 'On the next stage', 'The next step', and 'Finally'. However, cohesion can feel somewhat mechanical and repetitive, with several sentences starting with 'The next step' or 'After'. Paragraphing is also limited, as the response is largely clumped together into a single block of text rather than being structured into a clear introduction and separate body paragraphs. Improving paragraph division and varying cohesive devices would enhance the flow.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to convey the main steps of the process using terms like 'biofuel', 'harvesting', 'pre-processing', 'cellulose', and 'microbes'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as 'labortaries' (spelling error) and phrasing like 'plants and trees grow by taking energy' rather than more natural academic collocations. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying heavily on basic terms and repeating words from the prompt. To achieve a higher score, the student should incorporate a wider variety of less common technical and academic synonyms with greater precision.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses and participial phrases. There are, however, several grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues like 'plants and trees grow... take place', incorrect preposition use such as 'in the labortaries' instead of 'in laboratories', and missing articles. Punctuation and sentence boundaries generally do not impede communication, but the frequency of these minor errors keeps the accuracy level within the mid-range. A wider control of error-free complex sentences and careful proofreading of grammatical patterns would elevate this criterion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.