Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-14

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 following diagram illustrates the process of how ethanol,which is a biofuel, is produced from energy and plants. It is a cyclic process with 3 major stages of harvesting, processing and adding microbes.

The process initiates with the harvesting stage. During this stage, the grown up plants and trees are harvested and then pre-processed into cellulose. The process continues by processing the cellulose into sugars. Then, microbes are added into those sugars to produce our biofuel,that is, ethanol.

In the last two stages, it is shown how the produced ethanol is then used in multiple transports such as cars,trucks and planes as fuel. These transports burn ethanol and then emit carbon dioxide in the air, in the form of smoke. That carbon dioxide is then release into the atmosphere, from where it acts as a source of energy for plants and trees along with the sunlight which leads back to the first step of cycle and then it continues.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the diagram as a cyclical process and cover the main stages from plant growth through harvesting, pre-processing, conversion to sugars, and the addition of microbes to produce ethanol. You also report its use in cars, trucks and planes and the return of carbon dioxide to plant growth, so the account addresses the key features. However, the overview is not fully precise: calling harvesting, processing and adding microbes the “3 major stages” leaves out plant growth and the transport-and-emissions part of the cycle. The opening energy input and the role of sunlight could also be described more clearly. To strengthen the response, give a concise overview of the complete cycle before explaining the stages in sequence.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall progression: it introduces the cycle, describes the production stages, and then explains how ethanol use returns carbon dioxide to the plants. Paragraphing supports this sequence, and linking expressions such as “The process continues” and “In the last two stages” help guide the reader. Some connections are less exact, however. “The process initiates with the harvesting stage” conflicts with the earlier mention of energy and plant growth, while “then it continues” is a vague reference to the cycle. The final paragraph also combines transport use, emissions and the return to plant growth in a long chain. Use clearer stage-to-stage links and refer explicitly to the cycle’s starting point to make cohesion more precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “pre-processed,” “cellulose,” “sugars,” “microbes” and “carbon dioxide,” which allows the reader to follow the diagram. There is some useful variation in describing the stages, but several choices are imprecise or unnatural for a formal process description. “Grown up plants” is not the natural term for plants that have matured, and “multiple transports” does not accurately describe the vehicles shown. “Our biofuel” is also too conversational, while “in the form of smoke” adds a detail not stated in the diagram. Aim for precise, neutral terms such as “mature plants,” “modes of transport” and “the resulting ethanol.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “which” and “from where,” and the sequence is generally understandable. Some grammatical and punctuation errors remain. In “That carbon dioxide is then release,” the verb should be “released”; “the first step of cycle” needs an article (“the cycle”); and “microbes are added into those sugars” uses an awkward preposition pattern. There are also missing spaces after commas in “ethanol,which” and “cars,trucks.” The final sentence is long and joins several ideas, making its structure harder to control. Review verb forms and articles, and divide that sentence into shorter clauses while retaining some complex structures.

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