Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The diagram illustrates the cyclic process of producing a biofuel known as ethanol.

The process demonstrates how a sustainable alternative for fossil fuel can be produced from plants and trees.

The process commences with harvesting of vegitattion, such as trees and even small plants. This harvest is then, pre-processed using a machine, and converted into cellulose. Subsequently, this cellulose is processed in laboratories to extract sugar. Ultimately, microbes are added to the sugar to produce ethanol.

This is a sustainable process, the ethanol produced is used as fuel automobiles, ranging from cars and trucks to even airplanes. These vehicles produce carbon dioxide when in use, which is utilized by trees and plants. The trees and plants use an amalgamation of sunlight and carbon dioxide for energy. Consequently, the process of ethanol production is restarted. Thus the process is an inter-dependent, sustainable process of fuel production.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the diagram as a cycle and cover the main stages from harvesting through processing, sugar, microbes and ethanol, then explain how carbon dioxide returns to support plant growth. This gives the reader a relevant overall account. However, the opening stages are not fully represented: the diagram begins with sunlight and carbon dioxide enabling plants and trees to grow, before harvesting, whereas your description starts at harvesting. Some details are also imprecise or unsupported, such as saying cellulose is processed “in laboratories” and that a machine is used. The response is also five words below the required minimum. To strengthen the report, include the complete sequence and describe only what the diagram shows, with a concise overview of the cycle.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised into clear paragraphs, moving from an introduction to the production stages and then to ethanol use and the carbon cycle. Sequencing expressions such as “Subsequently,” “Ultimately,” and “Consequently” help the reader follow the process, and the final sentence provides a clear sense of closure. The progression is generally logical, though the first paragraph after the introduction skips the plant-growth stage, making the sequence feel incomplete. There is also a slightly abrupt shift into “This is a sustainable process,” and the repeated use of “process” in the conclusion could be more varied. A fuller account of the diagram’s opening and a more direct transition between production and fuel use would make the progression even smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of process vocabulary, including “pre-processed,” “cellulose,” “microbes,” and “carbon dioxide,” and terms such as “cyclic” and “inter-dependent” show an attempt to be precise. Meaning remains clear overall. Some choices are inaccurate or awkward for this diagram: “extract sugar” is less precise than describing the output as sugars, while “fuel automobiles” is an unnatural collocation. “Vegitattion” is misspelled, and “amalgamation” is not a natural way to describe the sunlight and carbon dioxide used by plants. There is also some repetition of “process” and “trees and plants.” More accurate collocations and careful spelling would make the vocabulary more flexible and precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex structures, including passive forms such as “microbes are added” and a relative clause in “which is utilized by trees and plants.” Most sentences communicate the intended sequence clearly. Some grammatical errors remain: “a sustainable alternative for fossil fuel” needs a different preposition and article pattern, “used as fuel automobiles” is missing a preposition, and “This is a sustainable process, the ethanol produced…” joins two independent clauses with a comma. The sentence “This harvest is then, pre-processed…” also has misplaced punctuation. Review articles, prepositions in common patterns, and sentence boundaries; these corrections would improve accuracy while preserving your range of structures.

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