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 presented sequential diagram illustrates the process of producing ethanol through various steps.

Overall,it can be seen that all the process is lengthy and ethanol passes through several stages before producing.It can also be seen that it is a recycling process.

To commence with,plants and trees grow by getting sunlight and carbon dioxide from surrounding.After complete growing,the harvesting process started.The cellulose are separated by pre-processing.Then, the ethanol making process is started in a factory where sugars and microbes added for ethanol making.

However,ethanol is prepared it used as a source by planes,truckers and cars.When these vehicles run,the carbon dioxide released from them and separated into the air.

The carbon dioxide are again used by plants and trees as a source.The process started repeatedly and ethanol is made again and again.It is a recycling process.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the diagram as a production process and give a relevant overview that it is cyclical, with carbon dioxide returning to support plant growth. You also cover the main sequence from growing and harvesting to processing and transport use. However, some stages are compressed or unclear: the account does not clearly distinguish cellulose from the processing stage that produces sugars, and it suggests sugars and microbes are both added in the factory, whereas microbes are added after sugars are produced. The response is also 16 words below the required minimum, limiting the detail available. To strengthen the report, describe each key transition accurately and include the three transport modes and the return of their emissions in a little more detail.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall progression: an overview is followed by production, use, and the carbon-dioxide cycle. Paragraphing helps separate the initial stages from the later use of ethanol, and connectors such as “To commence with” and “However” signal movement between ideas. Some links are mechanical or imprecise, though. “However” does not express a contrast before the discussion of transport, and “The process started repeatedly” repeats the cycle point already made. The sequence within the production stages is also difficult to follow because several steps are combined in one sentence. Use straightforward sequencing language such as “Next” and “After this,” and give each major phase a clear sentence or paragraph.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvesting,” “cellulose,” “carbon dioxide,” and “recycling process,” so the topic is generally clear. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “sequential diagram” and “source.” However, some word choices and combinations are unnatural or imprecise: “ethanol making process,” “used as a source by planes,” and “truckers” do not describe the diagram as clearly as they could. “Separated into the air” is also an unsuitable phrase for emissions being released. Aim for precise process collocations and consistent terms for the vehicles and stages; this will make the description more natural and accurate without requiring unusually advanced vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including “When these vehicles run, the carbon dioxide released from them,” and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, some sentence structures are incomplete or inaccurate, and control of verb forms and agreement is uneven. For example, “After complete growing, the harvesting process started” has an awkward clause and an inconsistent tense, while “The cellulose are separated” has a subject–verb agreement error. In “where sugars and microbes added,” the verb is missing, and “The carbon dioxide are again used” also has incorrect agreement. Use present simple consistently for a process diagram, check singular and plural subjects, and ensure each clause has a complete verb.

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