Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The process diagram gives information on how ethanol is made.

Overall, the process contains seven stages, beginning with planting a trees and waiting to reach maturity and ending with adding microbes to sugars. Besides, harvesting is a important process  to produce biofuel.

Initially, the process starts with the growth of plants and trees, which absorb the carbon dioxide from the atmostphere. After they reach maturity, they undergo to harvesting process using tractors and mechanical machines. After completing harvesting, they undergo a pre-processing procedure where it cut into small pieces, and then they goes cellulose process.

On the other hand, after the cellulose process they go to chemicals process where they add chemicals to cellulose. Moreover, after the chemicals procedure, next step is to add sugars. Furthermore, after adding the microbes in sugars. We get the final product, ethanol. Ethanol is used in cars, trucks, and planes which produce a lot of carbon dioxide.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the task partially by outlining the general sequence of how ethanol is produced from plants. However, the summary lacks a fully developed overview and skims over key stages of the process diagram. While the writer mentions the growth of plants, harvesting, pre-processing, and the addition of microbes, some details are slightly inaccurate or confused, such as stating that chemicals are added during the cellulose process and introducing personal interpretation regarding the final use in vehicles. The ideas are somewhat limited and under-developed, which prevents the response from achieving a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some basic organization present in the response, moving chronologically through the diagram, but it lacks a clear overall progression. Paragraphing is attempted, but transitions between ideas feel mechanical and repetitive, relying heavily on words like 'after', 'moreover', and 'furthermore'. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as shifting abruptly from the cellulose process to a chemical process without fully connecting how the stages relate back to the visual data. Cohesive devices are sometimes inaccurate or overused, giving the text a disjointed feel.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to convey the basic steps of the process. The writer attempts some less common terms related to the diagram, such as 'maturity', 'pre-processing', and 'procedure', but these are accompanied by noticeable errors in word choice and form, such as 'undergo to harvesting process' and 'chemicals process'. There are also occasional spelling and article issues, such as 'atmostphere', which indicate a restricted lexical range, though communication is still generally maintained.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a limited range of grammatical structures, relying mostly on simple sentences alongside some attempts at complex forms that are frequently faulty. There are frequent errors in verb forms, prepositions, and subject-verb agreement, such as 'planting a trees and waiting to reach maturity', 'where it cut into small pieces', and 'then they goes cellulose process'. Punctuation errors and awkward phrasing are also noticeable, which causes some difficulty for the reader and keeps the score at this level.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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