Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

This diagram presents a close loop life cycle of biofuel called ethanol. The cycle starts from photosynthesis process in the plants and trees which involves production of plant cells by utilizing energy from Sun in the form of sunlight and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. These crops and tress are then harvested to get fruits and grains to meet the food requirements of humans and animals. The other parts of plants and tress that cannot be used as food including wood, stem and roots are pre-processed to get cellulose which serves as raw materials in production of ethanol. Basically these these cellulose are processed through several biochemical processes through advances machines in a control environment to get sugars and microbes are added to produced sugars which converts it into ethanol through fermentation process under controlled temperature. Ethanol has a wide range of applications in domestic and commercial transport sector as it serves as fuel in cars, trucks and aeroplans. Ethanol is used in engines of these vehical to get energy to run mechanical systems of these vehical through combustion. In combustion process, carbon dioxide is produced along with energy which is used to run engines but carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. As carbon dioxide is used in photosynthesis in the presence of sunlight so this cycle starts again with biochemical process in plants.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all key stages of the circular process of ethanol production, from photosynthesis and harvesting to pre-processing, cellulose extraction, and the final fermentation and combustion stages. The main features and overview of the life cycle are clearly reported, satisfying the core requirements for task achievement. However, some parts of the response are slightly under-developed or contain minor inaccuracies in interpreting the diagram details, such as mentioning the production of fruits and grains for food, which is not the primary focus of this biofuel pathway. To reach a higher band, the student should ensure that all described features adhere strictly and precisely to the visual data provided, developing the main technical steps of the loop with greater depth and precision.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The text demonstrates a generally coherent overall arrangement and follows the chronological flow of the diagram from start to finish. However, progression is somewhat hindered by the lack of paragraphing, as the entire response is presented as a single block of text. Cohesive devices are used to link ideas together, but referencing and transitions can occasionally feel mechanical or repetitive, such as the repeated use of 'Ethanol' and 'carbon dioxide'. To improve Coherence and Cohesion, the student should divide the response into logical paragraphs—such as separating the initial growth and harvesting stages from the processing and combustion stages—and employ a wider variety of cohesive markers to guide the reader smoothly through the cycle.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common and technical terms such as 'photosynthesis', 'biochemical processes', 'cellulose', 'fermentation', and 'combustion'. While communication is never impeded, there are noticeable word choice, spelling, and word form errors, such as 'close loop' instead of 'closed loop', 'tress' instead of 'trees', 'aeroplans', and 'vehical'. Furthermore, phrases like 'control environment' and 'produced sugars' show minor inaccuracies in collocation and word form. To achieve a higher band, the student needs to expand their control of less common lexical items, ensuring precise word choices and flawless spelling throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writing exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an attempt to construct detailed explanations of the process. There are, however, several grammatical errors throughout the text, including missing or incorrect articles ('photosynthesis process', 'in a control environment'), pluralisation issues ('These crops and tress'), and prepositional or structural slips ('These these cellulose are processed'). While these errors do not impede overall communication, they occur regularly enough to prevent the response from achieving a higher band. To improve, the student should focus on tightening control over subject-verb agreement, article usage, and complex sentence structures, ensuring that grammar and punctuation remain accurate across all sentences.

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