Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-02

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 6.5)

The diagrams displays the production cycle of a biofuel known as ethanol explaining how a fuel derived from nature returns to it.

Energy from natural sources provides the raw material, which is processed. Some substances are added to it resulting in ethanol. This is used as fuel, consumption of which takes it back to the nature.

Sunlight and carbon dioxide facilitate the growth of trees and plants. These trees are harvested and used as raw materials in the production of biofuel. This waste is pre-processed turning into cellulose which is further processed in laboratories and turned into sugars. Microbes are added to these sugars resulting in formation of ethanol.

Ethanol is used as fuel in transportation. Burning this biofuel results in exhaust of carbon dioxide into the nature. This carbon dioxide again reacts with the sunlight helping in growth of trees and plants. Thus, the cycle continues producing biofuel as a renewable resource.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all parts of the task by outlining the main stages of the biofuel production cycle and its continuous nature. The overview provided in the opening paragraph captures the essence of the process. Key features, such as the transformation of harvested plants into cellulose and sugars, the addition of microbes, and the release of carbon dioxide during transportation, are clearly identified and reported. However, some parts of the response are slightly under-developed; for instance, the pre-processing stage is briefly described as turning waste into cellulose without fully explaining the mechanical flow shown in the diagram. To reach a higher level, the response would need to extend and fully develop all aspects of the process with greater precision and depth.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The report presents a coherent overall arrangement with a logical progression from the initial growth phase through processing and utilization to the release of carbon dioxide. The text is divided into appropriate paragraphs that separate the introduction, general summary, main processing stages, and final consumption cycle. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as "This waste is pre-processing turning into cellulose" and "Thus, the cycle continues." However, referencing and cohesion occasionally feel slightly mechanical or repetitive in structure. To achieve a higher standard, the writer could employ a wider and more flexible range of cohesive devices to link the steps of the cycle more fluidly without relying on formulaic transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying the sequence of events using appropriate terms such as "production cycle," "raw materials," "pre-processed," and "microbes." The writer attempts less common vocabulary, including "facilitate," "transportation," and "renewable resource." However, there are some minor word-choice and word-form inaccuracies, such as "exhaust of carbon dioxide" instead of "emission of carbon dioxide," and a minor grammatical-lexical slip in "pre-processing turning into." These errors do not impede communication, but they reflect a typical profile of this level. To move to a higher band, the writer needs to demonstrate a more flexible and precise range of vocabulary with fewer lexical inaccuracies.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, using structures such as relative clauses and participial phrases, as seen in "...explaining how a fuel derived from nature returns to it" and "Sunlight and carbon dioxide facilitate the growth of trees and plants." There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, such as missing articles ("The diagrams displays" and "returns to the nature") and awkward participial modification ("This waste is pre-processing turning into cellulose"). Despite these errors, the structures used do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, the writer must produce a greater proportion of error-free sentences while maintaining a wide variety of complex grammatical structures.

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