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)

This diagram shows biofuel production of ethonal making. It is a complete cycle process diagram, shows step by step biofuel production of how ethonal is made.

First of all energy in produced by sunlight and carbon dioxide which helps plants and trees to grow, when the crops are ready and cooked they harvested. After harvesting crops, plants and trees were send to pre-processing. When the pre-processing is done cellulose were made and then cellulose sent for processing. After harvesting two processing were made and finally they made sugar from it.

Microbes were added and ethanol is made and then ethanol was sent by cars, trucks and by aeroplanes. The car, truck and aeroplane produce carbon dioxide and this carbon dioxide produce energy to grow plants and trees.

Overall, this process is recycled, carbon dioxide is made at the end and the process of biofuel production is start from carbon dioxide.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the diagram as a cycle and cover its main stages, including plant growth, harvesting, pre-processing, cellulose, processing, sugars, microbes and ethanol. You also mention the transport uses and the return of carbon dioxide, so the account is relevant and the overall cycle is recognised. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: “when the crops are ready and cooked” is not shown, and “After harvesting two processing were made” misrepresents the sequence. The overview also says carbon dioxide “produce[s] energy,” whereas sunlight provides energy and carbon dioxide is absorbed by growing plants. To strengthen the response, give a clearer, accurate overview and describe the stages in their exact order, including the role of sunlight and carbon dioxide.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a generally understandable sequence, moving from plant growth through production to transport and the carbon-dioxide loop. Connectors such as “First of all,” “After harvesting,” and “Overall” help signal stages and the conclusion. The paragraphing also separates the opening, process details and overview. However, progression becomes difficult to follow in “After harvesting two processing were made,” and the final paragraph repeats the cycle idea without clearly distinguishing the inputs from the outputs. Some links are mechanical, and references such as “it” in “made sugar from it” are not fully clear. Use one paragraph for the overview and grouped paragraphs for the stages, with precise links such as “the resulting cellulose” and “the carbon dioxide released by transport.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use several relevant process terms, including “pre-processing,” “cellulose,” “microbes,” “ethanol,” and “carbon dioxide,” which allow the reader to recognise the subject. However, the range is limited and some word choices or collocations are inaccurate, making parts of the process harder to understand. “Ethonal” is misspelled repeatedly, “crops are ready and cooked” does not describe the diagram, and “carbon dioxide produce energy” confuses the roles of the substances. Phrases such as “biofuel production of ethonal making” are also awkward. Aim for precise process vocabulary and avoid adding unsupported descriptions. For example, use “is harvested,” “is converted into sugars,” and “is used as fuel in vehicles” where these accurately describe the stages.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt both simple sentences and longer clauses, for example, “After harvesting crops, plants and trees were send to pre-processing.” This shows an effort to connect stages, but control of sentence structure and verb forms is inconsistent, and errors sometimes make the process difficult to follow. Examples include “energy in produced,” “they harvested,” “cellulose were made,” and “the process … is start.” Passive forms are especially important for describing a process, but they are often formed incorrectly. There are also problems with agreement and sentence construction, as in “After harvesting two processing were made.” Practise accurate passive patterns such as “the plants are harvested,” “cellulose is produced,” and “the sugars are processed,” and check each sentence for a complete, correctly formed verb.

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

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