Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · 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 4.0)

The diagram illustrates the production of ethanol, a type of biofuel.

Overall,this is a cyclic process of manufacturing ethanol consists of 8 steps.In the beginning, the plants and trees are planted and harvested and in the end we produce ethanol which is used for in many types of vehicles.In this process, the raw plants and trees are processed including

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

You identify the subject as ethanol production and recognise that the diagram is cyclical, which are relevant starting points. However, the account is extremely incomplete: it stops at “the raw plants and trees are processed including” and does not describe the key stages of pre-processing, cellulose, processing into sugars, the addition of microbes, or the return of carbon dioxide from transport to plant growth. The claim that there are eight steps is not supported by the diagram’s sequence, and the opening stage is growth using sunlight and carbon dioxide, rather than plants being planted. The response also falls well short of the required 150 words. To improve, give a complete overview and report the main stages and the carbon cycle accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic progression: it introduces the diagram, gives an overall statement, and begins to describe the process. “Overall” signals an overview, while “In the beginning” and “in the end” attempt to guide the reader through the sequence. However, the account ends mid-sentence, so there is no developed sequence or clear paragraph structure, and the relationship between the stages is not explained. The spacing after “Overall,” and the missing space after the full stop in “steps.In” also interrupt presentation. Organise the response into an introduction and overview followed by a chronological description, using clear links such as “next,” “after this,” and “finally” only where they accurately reflect the diagram.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “production,” “biofuel,” “harvested,” and “vehicles,” and the meaning of the topic is generally clear. However, the range is very limited because the response is short and does not name most of the diagram’s important components, such as cellulose, sugars, microbes, and carbon dioxide. Some phrasing is also imprecise: “manufacturing ethanol” is less suitable for describing a natural-to-industrial cycle, and “used for in many types of vehicles” is an awkward expression. Build a more precise vocabulary set for describing stages and outputs, and use standard collocations such as “ethanol is used as fuel in vehicles.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response includes a simple opening sentence and attempts a longer overview sentence, so there is some sentence variety. However, the longer sentence is not grammatically controlled: “this is a cyclic process of manufacturing ethanol consists of 8 steps” combines incompatible structures. The phrase “which is used for in many types of vehicles” also has an incorrect construction, and the final sentence is incomplete after “including.” Punctuation and spacing need attention, particularly the missing space after “steps.” and the comma spacing in “Overall,this.” Use a clear clause pattern, for example, “Overall, ethanol production is a cycle consisting of several stages,” and check that every sentence is complete.

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