Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-11

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 diagram shows and explains all the process involved in manufactuing ethanol which is a biofuel.

Overall, the process involves 8 steps which is started from growing plants and trees. The two essential things required for plants and trees to grow are sunlight and carbon dioxide.

The first step starts with growing plants and trees. Sunlight and carbon dioxide are the two source of food for the plants. Sun produces the sunlight and carbon dioxide is produced by the cars, trucks and aeroplane. Once the plants and trees are grown it is then harvested by using a tractor. Once all the plants and trees are harvested it is pre processed in a machine and it is transformed into the form of cellulose.

Furthermore, once the cellulose is ready it is then processed in the chemical industry to convert it in the form of sugar. After this some microbes are added into the sugar to produce a biofuel that is called as Ethanol.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the diagram as ethanol production and describe the main conversion stages, from plant growth and harvesting through cellulose and sugars to ethanol. The overview also notes the role of sunlight and carbon dioxide, which is relevant. However, the account is incomplete: it omits the final use of ethanol in cars, trucks and aircraft, and the return of carbon dioxide to support plant growth, both central features of the cycle. The claim that there are “8 steps” is also unclear and does not capture the full process. Some details are inaccurate or unsupported, such as calling sunlight and carbon dioxide “food” and saying a machine pre-processes the plants. Covering the complete cycle and describing it more precisely would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall sequence, moving from plant growth to harvesting, pre-processing, cellulose, sugars and ethanol. Paragraphing separates the overview from the detailed account, and transitions such as “Once” and “Furthermore” help signal progression. However, the final paragraph stops at ethanol, so the process is not brought to a logical conclusion; adding the transport and carbon-dioxide return stages would complete the progression. Some linking is mechanical or repetitive, particularly the repeated “Once” constructions, and “Furthermore” suggests an additional point rather than simply the next stage. Use a wider range of precise sequencing links and clear references to connect each stage smoothly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvested,” “cellulose,” “processed,” “microbes” and “biofuel,” so the reader can follow the basic production stages. However, the range is somewhat limited, and several choices are imprecise or awkward for a process description. “Food” is not an accurate description of sunlight and carbon dioxide in this context, while “chemical industry” is less precise than describing a processing facility. There are also noticeable spelling and word-form problems, including “manufactuing” and “pre processed,” and the phrase “called as Ethanol” is not idiomatic. Aim for accurate technical wording and consistent spelling, and avoid adding explanations that the diagram does not show.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and longer sentences, including clauses beginning with “Once” and “After this,” and the main stages are generally understandable. However, some sentence structures and verb forms are inaccurate. For example, “all the process … which is started” has a number and verb-form problem, and “The two essential things … are sunlight and carbon dioxide” is followed by the awkward construction “two source of food.” In “it is then harvested … Once all the plants and trees are harvested it is pre processed,” the pronoun “it” does not clearly agree with the plural plants and trees. Review subject–verb agreement, singular and plural forms, and pronoun reference. More consistently accurate complex sentences would improve control.

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