Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The diagram below represents how a biofuel called ethanol is produced.

Overall, the process consists of several stages and forms a continuous cycle, beginning with plants and trees growing and ending with carbon dioxide.

Initially, the plants and trees grow with the help of energy (sunlight and carbon dioxide) and absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. And then the process of harvesting begins, and next, the plants and trees are in the preprocessing and produce cellulose.

After this, the cellulose is in the process, which may break it down into sugar particles and add it into microbes’ overall process, which is formed in ethanol. The finished biofuel can subsequently be used to power various forms of transport, including cars, trucks, and airplanes.

Finally, when ethanol is used as a fuel, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. This carbon dioxide is then absorbed by growing plants and trees, completing the cycle.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main stages and identify the key feature that makes this a cycle: carbon dioxide released when ethanol is used returns to support plant growth. The overview is clear, and the account includes harvesting, pre-processing, cellulose, processing, sugars, microbes, ethanol and transport. This is a solid response to the task. Some stages, however, are described imprecisely: the diagram shows cellulose being processed into sugars, then microbes being added to produce ethanol, whereas “add it into microbes’ overall process” obscures that sequence. The opening also says the cycle ends with carbon dioxide, although it returns to the plants. To strengthen the report, describe each conversion accurately and make the overview’s start and return point consistent.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall progression, moving from plant growth through production and transport to the return of carbon dioxide. Paragraphing separates the overview from the stages, and signposts such as “Initially,” “After this,” and “Finally” help the reader follow the sequence. This gives the report a coherent structure. Some linking is mechanical or awkward, particularly “And then … and next,” while the long second-stage sentence combines processing, sugar production and microbial action without clearly distinguishing them. The opening overview’s claim that the cycle ends with carbon dioxide also conflicts with the final sentence, which correctly completes the cycle at plant growth. Use fewer, more precise transitions and make the sequence and references consistent throughout.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “biofuel,” “cellulose,” “microbes,” “ethanol,” and “carbon dioxide,” and the transport examples are reported clearly. Some choices show an attempt to describe technical stages, but several are imprecise or unnatural: “the plants and trees are in the preprocessing,” “sugar particles,” and “microbes’ overall process” do not express the diagram’s steps naturally. “Forms a continuous cycle” and “absorbed by growing plants” are effective phrases. Aim for accurate process collocations and consistent terminology, such as describing material as being pre-processed and cellulose as being converted into sugars. This would improve precision without requiring more elaborate vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex forms, including the relative clause in “which may break it down” and the time clause “when ethanol is used as a fuel.” Most of the sequence remains understandable, but some grammatical errors and awkward constructions reduce accuracy. In “And then the process of harvesting begins, and next,” the sentence begins with a conjunction and has an unclear structure. “The plants and trees are in the preprocessing and produce cellulose” also combines mismatched verb patterns, while “add it into microbes’ overall process, which is formed in ethanol” leaves the subject and relationship unclear. Practise using clear passive forms for process stages, for example, “the cellulose is processed into sugars” and “microbes are added to produce ethanol.”

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