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 here illustrates the creation of biofuel production that how an ethanol is being made through a process. At a glance it is recognized that the process is very lenghty and time consuming.

Overall, the production starts from resources such as plants and trees and all the way upto making ethanol from it, concluding the process by making it a complete cycle.

The first step is to harvest plants and trees which contains energy sources as sunlight and cabon dioxide, then the preprocessing starts where those harvested plants are brought down and their seeds are being seperated. After getting it seperated, their cellulose is being mapped and the real processing starts from there in the factories and labs.

These factories and labs then provide tools and essential rough processing that the sugar gets extracted from it. And this sugar is mixed with such microbes ,which can be also called as backteria, that eventually makes up Ethanol. After these all process the ethanol is being circulated among vehicles and those vehicles releases some gas which is called carbon dioxide, and that completes the whole cycle as trees and plants consume them

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 and highlighting that it forms a continuous cycle involving carbon dioxide. The overview is functional, noting that the process is lengthy and circular. However, some aspects of the response are under-developed or imprecise. For instance, the student states that plants and trees are harvested and 'their seeds are being seperated', which is not depicted in the source diagram. Additionally, the description of pre-processing and sugar extraction lacks specific detail from the diagram, such as the mention of cellulose. To reach a higher level, the response should more accurately report all key stages of the process without introducing extraneous or unsupported details, ensuring every major step is fully and accurately covered.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical chronological progression from harvesting to the final release of carbon dioxide. Paragraphing is used to separate the introduction, overview, and body details. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the phrase 'After these all process the ethanol is being circulated', which disrupts the natural flow of ideas. Pronoun referencing could also be tightened to avoid ambiguity between the plants, sugars, and vehicles. To improve, the writer should employ a wider range of cohesive devices more flexibly and ensure smoother transitions between the various stages of the process diagram.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully communicating the main ideas of biofuel production. The student attempts less common vocabulary, such as 'circulated', 'extracted', and 'microbes', but demonstrates some inaccuracy in word choice and spelling, including 'lenghty', 'cabon', 'seperated', 'backteria', and awkward phrasing like 'the creation of biofuel production that how an ethanol is being made'. These errors do not impede overall communication, but they restrict the response. To achieve a higher band, the writer needs to expand their lexical range with more precise scientific terms and eliminate spelling and collocation errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting relative clauses and passive constructions such as 'that how an ethanol is being made' and 'their seeds are being seperated'. There are several grammatical errors in verb forms, articles, and prepositions, including 'contains energy sources as sunlight', 'the preprocessing starts where those harvested plants are brought down', and 'After getting it seperated'. These errors occur regularly and reflect a limited control over complex structures, although they rarely impede the reader's understanding. To progress, the writer should focus on mastering subject-verb agreement, article usage, and reducing intrusive structural errors in complex sentences.

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

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