Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-13

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 6.5)

The diagram illustrates how a biofuel called ethanol is produced from natural resources, plants and trees.

Overall, the production of ethanol involve in several stages, starting with grow plants and trees and ending with use of ethanol as a fuel in different types of transport. It is also cyclical process in which corban dioxide released and consume by plants.

initially, plants and trees grow by using energy sunlight and absorbing corban dioxide from the atmosphere. Once they are fully grown, they harvested and transport for pre-processing. During this stage, the plant material is prepared and convert in cellulose. The Cellulose is then sent to processing in factory, where it is broke down in to sugars.

in the next stage, microbes added in to sugars to the produce ethanol, the final stage the ethanol is used as fuel in car, truck and Aeroplan. Carbon dioxide is released during the production and use of the fuel. This gas returns to the atmosphere and is absorbed by growing plants, allowing the cycle to continue.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You cover the main stages accurately, from plant growth and harvesting through cellulose and sugars to ethanol, and you identify the cycle linking fuel use, carbon dioxide and new plant growth. The overview clearly captures the process’s start, end use and cyclical nature, while the body gives a generally complete account of the sequence. This meets the task well. To make the account more fully developed, distinguish more precisely where the diagram shows carbon dioxide: it is taken in as plants grow and released from the transport vehicles, then returned towards the plants. The statement that it is released “during the production and use” is broader than the visual supports, since the diagram specifically associates release with transport use.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response has a clear overall progression: an introduction and overview are followed by the early production stages and then the conversion to fuel and the carbon cycle. Sequencing expressions such as “Overall,” “initially,” “Once,” and “in the next stage” help the reader follow the process. The final sentence also links the carbon dioxide back to plant growth, giving the description a logical close. To strengthen the organisation further, use consistent paragraphing and capitalisation, and make the transition between the microbes and ethanol stages clearer. For example, the sentence beginning “in the next stage” combines several steps without clear punctuation, so separating the addition of microbes from the fuel’s use would make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “pre-processing,” “cellulose,” “sugars,” “microbes,” and “absorbed,” which allows you to describe the diagram’s main stages. There is also some useful variation in referring to the material and the gas. However, several noticeable spelling and word-choice problems reduce precision, including “corban dioxide,” “Aeroplan,” and “consume” where “consumed” is intended. Some combinations are also unnatural, such as “energy sunlight” and “transport for pre-processing.” Aim for accurate spelling of key technical terms and more natural process collocations. For instance, “using energy from sunlight” and “transported for pre-processing” would express the intended meanings more clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a relative clause in “where it is broke down in to sugars” and a sequence of time clauses describing harvesting and processing. The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but errors in verb forms, agreement, articles and sentence boundaries are frequent enough to affect fluency. Examples include “production … involve,” “starting with grow,” “they harvested,” and “it is broke down”; these need forms such as “involves,” “growing,” “they are harvested,” and “is broken down.” The sentence beginning “in the next stage” also lacks a clear grammatical structure. Practise forming passive constructions consistently, as they are especially useful for describing processes.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.