Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-05

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 figure illustrates the process of manufacturing a biofuel called ethanol.

Overall,we can clearly see that, there are nine steps involved in the biofuel production, with major ones being harvesting of the plants and trees, production of cellusolse, creation of sugars from chemicals and finally the result production i.e. ethanol.

To begin with, the plants and trees gets the source of energy from the sunlight and then with the addition of the carbon dioxide, it grows. As the trees grow tall and enough for the cutdown, they are harvested by the various means of machines. The harvested trees are then pre-processed resulting in the formation of cellulose of the trees. This cellulose is then processed by using the sugars with the addition of microbes, which produces the final product called ethanol. This ethanol is used as a fuel by the various means of transportation mainly cars, trucks and airplane. And when these vehicles are used, they produce the carbon dioxide as a residue which are accumulated in the atmosphere.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response covers all parts of the task by outlining the main stages of the ethanol production cycle shown in the diagram. An overview is attempted at the beginning, noting that there are nine steps involved. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and uneven. Certain details are slightly inaccurate or oversimplified, such as stating that 'cellusolse' is a production step rather than a material, or that sugars are created directly 'from chemicals'. While the overall progression of the process is captured, key aspects are only partially addressed, placing the task achievement at this level.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, body paragraph, and a concluding set of steps. Information is generally sequenced in a logical order following the stages of the diagram, beginning with plant growth and ending with vehicle emissions. However, cohesion is occasionally mechanical or faulty. For instance, the transition 'To begin with' introduces the sequence, but referencing and linking devices throughout the body paragraph are at times repetitive or awkward. Paragraphing is functional, though the division could be improved to separate the initial overview more clearly from the main body.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

An adequate range of vocabulary is used to describe the process, including terms like 'manufacturing', 'harvested', 'pre-processed', and 'atmosphere'. There are, however, noticeable spelling and word choice errors, such as 'cellusolse' instead of cellulose, 'result production', and 'get the source of energy'. Attempts to use less common vocabulary sometimes result in awkward phrasing, such as 'tall and enough for the cutdown' or 'various means of machines'. These lexical inaccuracies do not completely impede communication, but they restrict the precision and fluency of the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as relative clauses and conditional-like time clauses. However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, particularly with subject-verb agreement and articles, such as 'the plants and trees gets', 'with the addition of the carbon dioxide', and 'airplane' instead of airplanes. Prepositions and phrasing inside grammatical patterns also show inaccuracy, as seen in 'by the various means of machines' and 'for the cutdown'. These structures cause occasional difficulty for the reader, though the core meaning usually remains understandable.

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