Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-10

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 given digram illustrates the production cycle of biofuel called ethanol.

Overall, The production cycle have ten major steps of producing ethanol, namely: Energy, Plants growth, Harvesting, Pre-processing, Processing, Sugars, Micobes added, and Finally Ethanol is been produced.

Firstly, the process starts with the natural rays of sunlight and carbon dioxide which gives energy to plants and trees. After that secondly, plants are been harvested by humans and put into a pre-processing machine which leaves cellulose. Thirdly, the cellulose sent to scienctific labs for processing which converts cellulose into sugars. At last, the Microbes is been added in sugars which convents the mixture into a biofuel which is called as Ethanol.

The cycle continus for years as Ethanol is been to added as a fuel in transports which produce carbon dioxide after transport been used, which directly reverse the cycle of production of ethanol whereas when sunlight and carbon dioxide meets again it prodvide growth and nutrients to plants by which the process continus forever.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the diagram as a production cycle and describe the main transformation from plant material through cellulose and sugars to ethanol. You also include the return of carbon dioxide from transport, which captures the circular feature. However, the overview is not fully accurate: it says there are ten steps but lists only eight, and it omits the distinct stages of cellulose and carbon dioxide release in its summary. Some details are also unclear or unsupported, such as saying the harvested plants are put into a machine and the cellulose is sent to scientific labs; the diagram shows pre-processing and processing, without specifying those settings. To strengthen the response, give a precise overview of the cycle and report each key stage and the transport-related emissions clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an overview followed by a description of the production stages and then the cycle’s continuation. Sequencing expressions such as “Firstly,” “After that,” and “At last” help the reader follow the process. However, the linking is sometimes mechanical or confusing: “After that secondly” combines two sequence markers, while “Thirdly” and “At last” do not consistently clarify the diagram’s stages. The final sentence is very long and joins several ideas, making the relationship between transport, carbon dioxide, and plant growth harder to follow. Use clearer paragraph progression and divide the final explanation into shorter sentences, with references that make each stage and its output explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “pre-processing,” “cellulose,” “sugars,” and “carbon dioxide,” and these terms help communicate the diagram’s subject. There is also some attempt at more formal description, such as “production cycle.” However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable, including “digram,” “Micobes,” “scienctific,” and “continus.” Some phrases are also unnatural or imprecise, for example “the natural rays of sunlight,” “sent to scientific labs,” and “Ethanol is been to added as a fuel in transports.” Choose standard process terms and check spelling carefully; more accurate collocations would make the description clearer and more appropriate for an academic report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a relative clause in “which converts cellulose into sugars” and a time clause beginning “when sunlight and carbon dioxide meets again.” This shows some range, but errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction recur. Examples include “The production cycle have,” “plants are been harvested,” “The Microbes is been added,” and “Ethanol is been to added.” The final sentence also contains several clauses joined without clear grammatical control, and the capitalisation of “The” after “Overall” is incorrect. Practise accurate passive forms for process descriptions, such as “plants are harvested” and “microbes are added,” and check subject–verb agreement before combining clauses.

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