Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

The diagram demonstrates the stages undergone to produce a biofuel called ethanol including phases of harvesting, processing, addition of chemicals which results in ethanol which is used for transportation facilities. The whole process is quite complex and a mixture of natural and man made resources are used. The final outcome results in releasing of carbon dioxide which thereafter results in a cyclic process.

Initially, the process commences with the energy consumed by plants and trees in the form of sunlight and carbon dioxide. In the next stage, the appropriate plants and trees are harvested and it goes through a pre-processing unit where the harvested subtance is compressed in cellulose, later it is transferred to the main processing site where there is incorporation of chemicals such as sugar and microbes to the cellulose which eventually results into the final production of ethanol.

Ethanol is widely used as a transportation fuel for vehicles such as cars, trains, and airplanes. The process ends with these vehicles producing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the process restarts with the carbon dioxide consumed by plants and trees. The overall process results in a chain of cyclic events.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the diagram as a cyclical process and cover its main stages, from plant growth and harvesting through processing to ethanol use and carbon dioxide returning to plants. This gives the response a clear, relevant account of the overall process. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the diagram shows sugars produced after processing, with microbes added before ethanol is formed, rather than chemicals being incorporated at the processing site. It also shows cars, trucks and aeroplanes, not trains. The overview that the process is “quite complex” is less informative than highlighting the cycle and the conversion of plant material into fuel. More precise reporting of the stages and outputs would make the account more complete and developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is organised into a general introduction, a description of the production stages, and a final account of fuel use and the carbon cycle. Sequencing expressions such as “Initially,” “In the next stage,” and “The process ends” help the reader follow the sequence. The overall progression is clear, though some links between stages are compressed: the sentence describing the processing site combines cellulose, sugar, microbes and ethanol, making the order difficult to track. There is also some repetition of the cycle idea in both the introduction and conclusion. To strengthen cohesion, give each stage a distinct place in the sequence and use references such as “this material” only when their referent is unmistakable.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonably varied range for describing a process, including “pre-processing,” “incorporation,” “final production” and “cyclic process.” These choices show an attempt to use formal, topic-related vocabulary. However, some expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “transportation facilities,” “subtance,” and “results into”; “chemicals” also misrepresents the diagram’s sugars and microbes. The spelling error in “subtance” is noticeable, while “appropriate plants” does not clearly describe the plant material shown. Aim for accurate process vocabulary and natural collocations rather than more elaborate wording. For example, describe the material as being converted into cellulose and sugars, then fermented by microbes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses in “where the harvested subtance is compressed in cellulose” and “which eventually results into the final production of ethanol.” The sequence is generally understandable, and several sentences are controlled. Some grammatical choices remain inaccurate or awkward, however. In “the appropriate plants and trees are harvested and it goes through,” the pronoun does not agree clearly with the plural subject; “the harvested material is” would be clearer. “Results in releasing of carbon dioxide” also has an awkward grammatical construction, and the long second-paragraph sentence makes relationships between stages hard to follow. Use shorter clauses where needed and check agreement, articles and verb patterns.

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