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 provided diagram illustrates the process of Biofuel production means how ethanol is made.
Overall, it can be observed that there are seven main stages in the process, beginning with growth of plants and trees and culminating in Ethanol production.
As the first step, plants and trees are grown using energy , sunlight plus carbon dioxide. This is followed by harvesting of crops. Next, it performs pre-processing, after which cellulose is produced from pre-processing of harvested plants and trees. Subsequently,cellulose process starts in a labortary .
In the subsequent stage, cellulose is converted into sugar using some chemicals. Following this, microbes are added into the sugar. Finally, Ethanol is produced which further excludes carbon dioxide through three different engines including Car,Truck and Aeroplane. This excluded carbon dioxide again absorb by the trees and plants and then this ethanol processing system restarts.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses the main components of the diagram, identifying the key stages of biofuel production from the growth of plants to the release of carbon dioxide. However, the length requirement of 150 words is not met, as the response contains only 141 words. While an overview is attempted, some parts of the process are presented with limited development and minor inaccuracies, such as mentioning that the cellulose process starts in a 'laboratory', which is not supported by the visual data. The progression covers the main sequence, but the overall coverage remains somewhat restricted and partially developed.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The text demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear sequence of events moving logically through the cycle. Cohesive devices such as 'As the first step', 'Next', 'Subsequently', and 'Finally' are used to guide the reader through the stages. However, paragraphing is somewhat basic, with the body of the process grouped tightly together rather than structured into logical steps, and some referencing is slightly mechanical.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully incorporating process-specific terms like 'harvesting', 'pre-processing', 'cellulose', 'sugars', and 'microbes'. There are some awkward phrasings and word choice issues, such as 'Biofuel production means how ethanol is made', 'it performs pre-processing', and spelling slips like 'labortary'. Less common lexical items are attempted with some inaccuracy, placing the response at this level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures attempted throughout the response, such as 'This is followed by harvesting of crops' and 'This excluded carbon dioxide again absorb by the trees and plants'. However, there are noticeable grammatical errors, including missing articles ('growth of plants'), passive voice errors ('again absorb by'), and punctuation issues before conjunctions. These errors do not completely impede communication, but they occur frequently enough to restrict the grammatical score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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