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 picture illustrates the production cycle of a biofuel named ehtanol.

Overall, there are 9 steps of cycle shown in the picture starting from consumption of energy by plants and trees ending with the last cycle step emission of carbon dioxide from vehicles.

To begin with the start of the process, plants consumes energy in the form of sunlight with carbon dioxide and grows into trees. After growth of trees, harvesting process starts and make them into pre-processing phase before converting into Cellulose. When Cellulose produced processing takes place and produce sugars.

Finally, to complete the Ethanol process, microbes added into sugars. Then ethanol used in transport vehicles such as car, trucks and airplanes. These vehicle releases carbon dioxide while carbon dioxide consumed by trees for growth.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as a cycle and cover its main stages, from plant growth and harvesting through cellulose, sugars, microbes and ethanol, then back to plant growth via carbon dioxide. This gives the reader a generally accurate account of the diagram. However, the overview says there are “9 steps,” which does not clearly match the sequence shown, and the description of the opening stage is imprecise: sunlight and carbon dioxide support plant growth rather than being “consumed” as a separate first step. Some stages are compressed, and the response is below the required 150 words. To develop the report further, explain the pre-processing and processing stages more clearly and describe how ethanol is used by the three transport types before carbon dioxide returns to the plants.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall shape: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs that follow the process from its beginning to its end. Sequencing phrases such as “To begin with” and “Finally” help the reader follow the stages, and the cycle is brought back to plant growth in the final sentence. Some connections are less smooth or precise, however. “After growth of trees, harvesting process starts and make them into pre-processing phase” compresses several steps and makes the relationship between them difficult to follow. The overview’s “ending with the last cycle step” also sits awkwardly with the later explanation that the cycle returns to plants. Use clearer stage-by-stage links and refer explicitly to each input and output to make progression more consistent.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvesting,” “pre-processing,” “cellulose,” “sugars,” “microbes” and “carbon dioxide,” which allows you to describe the diagram’s key stages. There is also some useful variation in phrases such as “in the form of” and “while.” However, the range is limited, and several word choices or combinations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “consumption of energy by plants,” “make them into pre-processing phase” and “complete the Ethanol process.” The spelling “ehtanol” in the opening sentence is also noticeable, although “Ethanol” is spelled correctly later. Aim for precise process verbs such as “undergoes,” “is converted into” and “is released,” and check spelling and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the overview sentence and the final sentence linking vehicle emissions to plant growth. The main sequence is usually understandable, but errors in agreement, verb forms and sentence construction are frequent enough to affect accuracy. For example, “plants consumes” should use a plural verb, while “and grows into trees” does not agree with its subject. In “harvesting process starts and make them,” the verbs do not form a consistent grammatical structure. Articles and plurals also need attention in phrases such as “the Ethanol process” and “such as car, trucks.” Practise building accurate passive sentences for process descriptions, for example, “The plants are harvested and pre-processed,” and check that each verb agrees with its subject.

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