Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-04

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 given diagram illustrates the production of ethanol which is a biofuel.

Overall, it can be clearly seen that ethanol producion involves mechanical and chemical processes. Firstly, energy comes from sunlight and carbon dioxide which helps plants and trees to grow. When plants and trees reached to maturity they are harvested and subjected for the next pre-processing stage.

After preliminary processing harvested plants and trees are converted into cellulose. And the next step is the processing of such cellulose in lab. Furthermore, cellulose after processing is converted into sugars and in this sugar microbes are added.

In the Last step, there is an addition of microbes in sugars and these microbes use sugar as a source of their food and as a result ethanol is produced.

Meanwhile, this ethanol is used in Car, Truck, and Aeroplane as a source of biofuel and after the combustion of ethanol in the engines carbon dioxide is produced. This carbon dioxide is goes back into the atmosphere and used again as a source of energy for plants and trees.

Overall, ethanol production is comprises of seven steps and carbon dioxide production is a renewable step which is used again as a energy source.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by outlining the main stages of how ethanol is produced from plants and trees, including the recycling of carbon dioxide. However, some aspects of the process are developed more fully than others. For instance, the transition from plants to cellulose and sugars is described, but the text contains some minor inaccuracies or repetitions, such as the redundant repetition of microbes being added in both the third and fourth paragraphs. While an overview is attempted at the beginning and end, the conclusion contains repetitive information. To reach a higher level, the response would need to select and report the key features with greater conciseness and fully develop all stages without redundancy.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response presents a coherent overall arrangement and follows the chronological order of the process diagram reasonably well. Paragraphing is used to break down the stages of production, and basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'After', and 'In the Last step' are employed to guide the reader through the sequence. However, cohesion at times feels a bit mechanical or repetitive, and referencing is occasionally faulty, such as in the phrase 'in this sugar microbes are added' following a general mention of sugars. To achieve a higher standard, the text would need to use a wider variety of cohesive devices more flexibly and ensure smoother transitions between the cyclical stages of the process.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less-common items such as 'preliminary processing', 'combustion', and 'renewable step'. There are some word-choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'producion' (spelling), 'subjected for the next' instead of 'subjected to', and 'carbon dioxide is goes back'. However, these lexical errors do not impede communication, and the meaning remains clear throughout. To move up to a higher band, the writer should refine word choice and collocation, ensuring accurate spelling and natural phrasing when describing technical or scientific processes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, successfully using relative clauses and conditional ideas like 'when plants and trees reached to maturity they are harvested'. There are some noticeable errors in grammar and punctuation, including tense inconsistencies ('reached' instead of 'reach'), missing articles ('in Car, Truck, and Aeroplane'), and prepositional errors ('produces... as a source of their food'). Despite these errors, they rarely impede communication. To reach the next level, the writer needs to demonstrate better control over complex sentence structures and reduce the frequency of grammatical slips, particularly regarding verb forms and prepositions.

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