Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-08

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 us the production of biofuel which is called ethanol.

Overall, ethanol production is cyclic pocess which begin with source of energy from sunlight and the carbon dioxide which is present in the air though which plants are grown and the ethanol is formed and corbon dioxide is released to the air.

Firsltly, plants and trees grow with the help of energy which they get form sunlight, afterwards the plants and trees being harvested moved for preprocessing, from there the cellulose has been formed. After this, these cellulose moved to the factory for processing, the sugars is formed after being processed and then the microbes is added to the sugar from which te ethanol biofuel is made.

Later on these fuel is used in vehicle and airplane through which the corbon dioxide is relesed to the air. It is the cyclic process so the cobon dioxide agian added with the sunlight and gives energy to trees and plants, the process repeat itself.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the diagram as a cyclical process and cover its main stages, from plant growth and harvesting through pre-processing, cellulose, processing, sugars and the addition of microbes. You also correctly explain that ethanol is used as fuel and that carbon dioxide returns to support plant growth. This gives the reader a relevant account of the process. However, some details are less fully or clearly reported: for example, the diagram shows ethanol being used by a car, truck and aeroplane, while you refer generally to “vehicle and airplane.” The role of sunlight and carbon dioxide in plant growth is also expressed unclearly. To strengthen the response, describe the stages and the cycle more precisely, including the transport modes and the carbon-dioxide loop.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs that follow the production stages and then describe the fuel’s use and the return of carbon dioxide. Sequencing expressions such as “Firstly,” “After this,” and “Later on” help the reader follow the process. However, some links feel mechanical, and several long sentences combine multiple stages without clear boundaries. For instance, the sentence beginning “Firstly” moves from plant growth through harvesting, pre-processing and cellulose in one chain. The reference in “from which the ethanol biofuel is made” is understandable but could be more direct. Use shorter, clearly punctuated sentences for groups of stages, and vary linking language while keeping the sequence explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvested,” “preprocessing,” “cellulose,” “processed,” “microbes,” and “cyclic process,” which helps convey the diagram’s subject. There is some repetition of “plants and trees,” “process,” and “carbon dioxide,” and several word-choice or spelling problems reduce precision, such as “the sugars is formed” (the wording is also grammatically incorrect) and “fuel is used in vehicle.” Spelling errors including “corbon,” “relesed,” and “agian” are noticeable. Aim for accurate, natural collocations and proofread technical terms. You could also use alternatives such as “is converted into” and “is released” to describe the transformations and emissions more precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a relative clause in “from which the ethanol biofuel is made” and a cause-and-effect construction describing the carbon-dioxide cycle. However, errors in verb forms, agreement, articles and sentence construction are frequent enough to make some sentences difficult to read. Examples include “which begin” instead of “which begins,” “the plants and trees being harvested moved,” and “the sugars is formed.” The opening phrase “illustrates us the production” also has an incorrect grammatical pattern. Work on consistent present-simple forms for process descriptions, subject–verb agreement, and sentence boundaries. For example, write: “The plants are harvested and moved for pre-processing,” then begin a new sentence for the next stage.

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