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 diagraghram illustrate the cycle how ethanol is manufactured and used. It mainly starts with harvesting plants which are then processed in industried, some other componets are added to make it usefull.

The cycle starts when the plant use sublight and carbondioxide to grow. The trees are then harvested for wood and transpoted to preprocessing unit, here they are brokendown to cellulose. The cellulose are then processed to get the sugar in it, which is then fermented by the mircobes. The final product comes out to be ethaol. This ethanot is used as fuel in all kind of transportation. These vehicles emit carbondioxide by burning fuel which is again used by plants and trees to get energy. And the cycle goes on.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as a cycle and cover its main stages, from plant growth and harvesting through cellulose, sugars, microbes and ethanol, then explain how transport-related carbon dioxide returns to the plants. This gives the reader a broadly accurate account. However, the overview is brief and the opening says the process “mainly starts with harvesting,” which conflicts with the diagram’s first stage: sunlight and carbon dioxide enabling plants to grow. Some details are also imprecise: the diagram shows plants and trees being harvested, but does not specify that they are harvested for wood or transported. The response is 28 words below the required minimum, limiting the detail provided. Develop a clearer overview and describe the stages more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The stages are generally presented in a sensible order, and phrases such as “The cycle starts,” “The final product,” and “These vehicles” help connect the process. The final sentence also returns to the cycle’s starting point. However, the response is a single paragraph, so the overview and stage-by-stage description are not clearly separated. Some links between stages are compressed or unclear, particularly “The cellulose are then processed to get the sugar in it,” which makes the relationship between processing and sugars harder to follow. The repeated use of “then” also makes the progression somewhat mechanical. Use a short overview followed by a process paragraph, and vary linking expressions while making each transition explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvested,” “preprocessing,” “cellulose,” “fermented,” and “fuel,” which helps communicate the main stages. However, spelling errors are frequent and sometimes make key terms difficult to recognise, including “diagraghram,” “industried,” “componets,” “mircobes,” and “ethaol.” Some word choices are also imprecise: “usefull” does not describe the production stage clearly, and “all kind of transportation” is an awkward way to refer to the car, truck and aeroplane. Aim for accurate spelling of technical terms and more precise process vocabulary, such as “converted into sugars” and “modes of transport.” Proofreading would improve clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You communicate the sequence using both simple sentences and some longer structures, for example, “The final product comes out to be ethaol. This ethanot is used as fuel…” and the sentence beginning “The trees are then harvested…”. However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently in sentence structure, agreement and verb forms. In “The diagram illustrate,” the subject and verb do not agree; “The plant use” has the same problem. “The cellulose are then processed” also has incorrect agreement, while “which is then fermented by the mircobes” has an unclear reference because the preceding noun is “sugar.” Practise accurate present-simple descriptions and ensure pronouns clearly refer to the correct stage or material. Use punctuation to avoid joining too many steps in one sentence.

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