Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-03
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 step by step process of producing biofuel called ethanol.
Overall, it was completed in nine steps recycle process, starting from Energy step to ending with Carbon Dioxide which is a part in energy.
The combination of sunlight and carbon dioxide produce as a energy for plants. By using energy plants and tress are growth then plants are harvested by using tractor. In the next step the plants are preprocessing using equipment, the preprocessing material are become into cellulose.
The cellulose are undergoes into chemical process to separate sugars from cellulose, followed by adding microbes to sugars to get result as a biofuel which is also called ethanol. The ethanol was used as a input in different vehicles like car, heavy load trucks and airplanes as results carbon dioxide was released into atmosphere which is used in initial step to produce energy for plants and trees by combing sunlight.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The response addresses all parts of the prompt by describing the main stages of the biofuel production cycle from plants to ethanol and back to carbon dioxide. However, some parts are more fully developed than others. The overview attempts to capture the circular nature of the process by stating it is a 'nine steps recycle process', but the summary is somewhat mechanical and lacks clarity in framing the overall cycle. While the key steps such as harvesting, pre-processing, and adding microbes are mentioned, the explanation of how carbon dioxide acts as a continuous loop could be extended and supported more precisely to reach a higher level.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response presents a coherent overall arrangement of the diagram's stages, following the chronological flow from sunlight to ethanol and carbon dioxide. However, the cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. Transitions between sentences rely on basic connectors like 'In the next step' or 'The cellulose are', and referencing is not always clear, such as when referring back to carbon dioxide. Paragraphing is attempted, but grouping all body sentences together limits the logical progression and structural clarity of the essay.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items related to the diagram such as 'pre-processing', 'microbes', and 'cellulose'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and word formation, such as writing 'tress are growth' instead of 'trees grow', or 'preprocessing material are become into'. Spelling and word-choice errors occur, but they do not seriously impede communication, keeping the lexical standard appropriate for this level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response features a mix of simple and some complex sentence forms, such as relative clauses and participial phrases ('which is also called ethanol'). However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, particularly involving subject-verb agreement and passive/active voice confusions, such as 'carbon dioxide produce as a energy' and 'The cellulose are undergoes'. These errors require some effort to decode, reflecting a limited control of grammatical structures and accurate verb forms.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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