Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-09

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 cyclical process how ethanol biofuel is produced.

Overall, the process consists of eight circular stages, commencing with plantation of trees and culminates at the use of ethanol as a fuel in transportation. It is a cyclical process in which carbon dioxide released by fuel consumption is absorbed by growing plants.

Initially, plants and trees grow by absorbing sunlight and carbon dioxide from atmosphere. Once they have matured, they are harvested and sent to pre-processing, in which it converted into cellulose. And further this cellulose transferred to processing facility. At this stage, it is broken down into sugars.

On the next stage, microbes were added into sugars to produced ethanol, which used by different vehicles such as lorries, cars, and aircrafts as fuel. During the use of ethanol carbon dioxide is released into atmosphere which subsequently absorbed by growing trees and plants, allowing production cycle to continue.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You cover the main stages and give a clear overview of the cycle, including the return of carbon dioxide from fuel use to growing plants. The sequence from harvesting through pre-processing, cellulose, processing, sugars and microbes to ethanol is also reported, and the transport examples match the diagram. This supports a clear, relevant account of the process. However, the overview says there are “eight circular stages,” which is not a precise description of the diagram’s stages, and the opening omits that sunlight and carbon dioxide enable plant growth until the body paragraph. The conversion steps are sometimes compressed, so the role of pre-processing and processing could be distinguished more clearly. More exact stage descriptions would strengthen an otherwise well-focused summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised into an overview followed by two paragraphs that trace the process in sequence, making the cycle easy to follow. Time and sequence markers such as “Initially,” “Once,” and “On the next stage” help guide the reader, while the final sentence links carbon dioxide release back to plant growth. This is a clear progression through the diagram. Some linking is less natural or precise: “And further” begins a sentence awkwardly, and “At this stage” could refer to either pre-processing or the processing facility. The overview also calls the stages “circular,” which may blur the distinction between the cycle as a whole and its individual steps. Use a few more precise transitions and references to make connections smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of process vocabulary, including “absorbing,” “harvested,” “cellulose,” “facility,” and “released,” and the meaning remains clear. The use of “culminates” and “subsequently” shows some ambition beyond basic vocabulary. At times, however, word choice or collocation is imprecise: “plantation of trees” is less suitable than “growth of plants and trees,” and “eight circular stages” does not accurately express the cycle. There are also awkward phrases such as “converted into cellulose” and “used by different vehicles … as fuel.” These do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and naturalness. Aim for accurate process collocations, such as “is converted into” and “is used as fuel by.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex forms, including a relative clause in “carbon dioxide released by fuel consumption” and a time clause beginning “Once they have matured.” The overall meaning is generally understandable, and the sequence is conveyed despite some grammatical slips. Errors occur in verb forms and sentence construction: “the process how ethanol … is produced” needs a construction such as “the process by which”; “in which it converted” is missing an auxiliary; and “to produced ethanol” should use the base form after “to.” In “which used by different vehicles,” the passive auxiliary is also missing. Article and preposition control needs attention in “from atmosphere” and “into atmosphere.” Check each clause for a complete verb phrase and required articles.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.