Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-06

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 how a biofuel called ethanol is produced.

Overall, production of ethanol is a long, complex and semi synthetic process. Microbial and lab interventions are made in the whole process.

First of all as plants and trees grow and they obtain energy from carbon dioxide and sunlight. The next step is harvesting, which lead us to our final gain from the crops. Pre-processing is done to make cellulose. Cellulose is the basic component in the production of ethanol. Now in upcoming step lab intervention is done. It goes through various complex processes and chemical changes occur in the cellulose.

These chemical alterations will lead to production of sugars. The sugars are then processed through various microbes added on it. So many chemical changes will take place. It will finally lead to the ethanol manufacturation. The ethanol is used as a biofuel for various vehicles like cars, truck and plane. The will produce CO2 and this will act as a cycle in the production of ethanol.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by outlining the main stages of how ethanol is produced from plants and trees, successfully providing an overview of the cyclical process. However, some aspects are more fully developed than others, and certain details are slightly unclear or rely on vague phrasing, such as mentioning 'various complex processes and chemical changes' without fully explaining the sequence shown in the diagram. To move to a higher band, the response would need to present a more thoroughly extended and precise description of every stage in the flow chart without skipping steps or relying on generalisations.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response presents a coherent overall arrangement with a logical progression following the steps of the diagram from plant growth to biofuel use and the carbon dioxide cycle. Basic cohesive devices are used to link the stages, such as 'First of all', 'The next step', and 'The sugars are then processed'. However, cohesion is at times slightly mechanical or repetitive in how sentences are introduced. Paragraphing is attempted, but grouping the entire response into a single body of text after the introduction limits the clarity of the organizational structure. To achieve a higher band, the writer should use a wider variety of cohesive devices more naturally and divide the text into clear, distinct paragraphs reflecting different parts of the process.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully communicating the main ideas and incorporating topic-specific terms like 'biofuel', 'cellulose', 'harvesting', and 'microbes'. There are, however, noticeable word choice and word formation inaccuracies, such as 'semi synthetic', 'final gain', and 'manufacturation', alongside minor spelling and hyphenation slips. The range is somewhat limited, and while the writer attempts less common vocabulary, these slips occasionally detract from precision. To improve lexical resource, the student needs to use a wider and more precise range of vocabulary with correct word forms and collocations appropriate for academic writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and some complex sentence forms, but control is inconsistent. There are frequent grammatical errors in sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, and prepositions, such as 'which lead us', 'in upcoming step', and 'The will produce CO2'. Articles and plurals are also misused in places, for example 'cars, truck and plane'. While these errors rarely impede overall communication, they are frequent enough to prevent the writing from achieving a higher band. To progress, the writer must focus on improving the accuracy of complex sentence patterns, verb tense consistency, and basic grammatical agreements.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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