Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The below diagram shows how Ethanol is made. The overall production contains several steps. The process begins at the production of trees and plants. We know they are produced by the help of sunlight and carbon dioxide. We start to harvest plants and trees for many purposes and one of the reason is to gain Ethanol. After harvesting those trees and plants we need to pre process it for the Cellulose . When we get the cellulose we process it to sugars. We have to add some microbes to sugar for the final result. Thus Ethanol is produced . This is a chain cycle . Cause we use Ethanol for the fuels of vehicles like plains, cars etc. And these vehicles emittes Carbon Dioxide to the air which then takes part again in the production of trees and plants. And thus the process again continues .So its a cycle happening continuosly on our environment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main stages, from plant growth and harvesting through pre-processing, cellulose, processing, sugars and microbes, and you recognise that the process forms a cycle involving carbon dioxide. This gives the reader a broadly accurate account of the diagram. However, some important details are omitted or unclear: the diagram shows ethanol being used by cars, trucks and aeroplanes, while your examples say “plains, cars etc.”; it also shows carbon dioxide from these transport modes returning to the plants. The overview is present in “This is a chain cycle,” but the stages and their relationships are not always reported precisely. To strengthen the response, describe the sequence more explicitly and include the three transport modes and the carbon-dioxide loop accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows the general production sequence, so the reader can trace the process from plant growth to ethanol and then to carbon dioxide returning to the cycle. Linking expressions such as “After harvesting,” “When we get the cellulose,” and “Thus” help signal stages and consequences. However, the answer is presented as one continuous paragraph, and progression becomes less controlled near the end: “This is a chain cycle. Cause we use Ethanol…” creates a fragment and an abrupt shift from production to use. Repeated references to “trees and plants” and “the process” also make cohesion somewhat repetitive. Group the stages into a clear opening overview and a sequenced description, using precise links to show how each stage leads to the next.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvest,” “pre process,” “Cellulose,” “microbes,” and “Carbon Dioxide,” which allows the main subject to be understood. There is also some attempt to describe the cycle with “production” and “final result.” However, the range is limited and several choices are imprecise or informal for an academic process description. “Gain Ethanol” is not a natural way to describe the purpose of harvesting, and “fuels of vehicles” is awkward; “plains” appears to be an inaccurate term for aeroplanes. Spelling and word-form errors such as “emittes” and “continuosly” are noticeable. Aim for accurate process collocations and consistent technical terms, such as “ethanol is produced” and “carbon dioxide is released.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and linked sentences, for example, “When we get the cellulose we process it to sugars,” and use sequencing clauses to connect stages. However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences awkward or incomplete. “Cause we use Ethanol…” is a sentence fragment, while “one of the reason is” has a number-agreement error. The sentence “After harvesting those trees and plants we need to pre process it” also has unclear pronoun reference and an inconsistent shift into direct instruction. Punctuation is unreliable, with spaces before full stops and missing commas after introductory phrases. Practise writing complete, neutral descriptions in the present simple, checking agreement, pronoun reference, and sentence boundaries.

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