Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-12

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 illustrates how biofuel called ethanol is produced through industrial process. Firstly the natural energy coming from sunlight and carbon dioxide from the environment is being tranferred to our trees and plants which are later consumed by them to grow into crops, is being harvested by the farmers. Secondly the harvested crops is later go through a pre-processing machinery to be converted into cellulose which being later goes through another processing process in industries. After that the cellulose is succesfully converted into sugars by industrial process. With some additional microbes added into it, the final product which is called ethanol is being produced. Now comes the utilization which is done by automobiles or planes mainly, when they burn the ethanol in their engines, they ultimately emit carbon dioxide back in the environment as a reaction. so this whole process is being repeated again as a loop

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main stages, from plant growth and harvesting through processing, the addition of microbes and ethanol production, and you recognise that carbon dioxide returns to the plants. However, the account is only partial: it does not clearly report that ethanol is used by three transport types—cars, trucks and aeroplanes—and it gives little detail about the cycle’s key inputs and outputs. Some process relationships are also unclear, particularly the claim that plants are “consumed” by sunlight and carbon dioxide, and the statement that cellulose is converted into sugars by an industrial process. The response is also three words below the required minimum. To strengthen coverage, describe each stage accurately and include the transport uses and carbon-dioxide loop.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The stages are presented in a broadly chronological order, and signposts such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “After that” help the reader follow the process. The final sentence also attempts to connect the emissions back to the beginning of the cycle. However, the response is written as one continuous paragraph, so the overview and the sequence of stages are not clearly separated. Some transitions are mechanical, and the long opening sentence combines several steps in a confusing way. The phrase “Now comes the utilization” marks a shift, but the link between ethanol production and its use could be more direct. Organise the response into a brief overview followed by clearly grouped stages, and use concise links that show how each stage leads to the next.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvested,” “pre-processing,” “cellulose,” “microbes,” and “emit carbon dioxide,” which allows the reader to understand the general topic. However, the range is limited and some choices are inaccurate or awkward: “consumed by them to grow into crops” misrepresents how plants use sunlight and carbon dioxide, while “processing process” is repetitive. There are also spelling errors in “tranferred” and “succesfully,” and phrases such as “machinery” and “utilization” are not the most precise descriptions of the diagram. Aim for accurate, natural collocations such as “plants absorb” and “the crops undergo pre-processing.” Proofreading spelling and avoiding repeated or vague wording would make the description clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to connect several stages using subordinate clauses and sequencing language, but complex sentences are often faulty, which makes some relationships difficult to follow. For example, “the natural energy … is being tranferred … which are later consumed by them to grow into crops, is being harvested” has unclear clause structure and an incorrect passive construction. There are repeated problems with verb forms and agreement, as in “the harvested crops is later go through” and “which being later goes through.” Sentence boundaries and punctuation also need attention: the final sentence begins with lowercase “so” after a full stop, and the response relies heavily on long, joined clauses. Use shorter sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check agreement, tense and passive forms before combining ideas.

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