Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

The diagram illustrates a cycle process through which the biofuel ethanol is produced.

Overall, the figures demonstrate the processes through which trees and plants absorb carbon dioxide as an energy from the nature to being processed for ethanol production, and finally released back into the nature in form of gas for the cycle to start over.

Plants and trees use energy from the nature in forms of sunlight and carbon dioxide which help them grow. Then, they are harvested and pre-processed for breaking them down to cellulose. The extracted cellulose undergo a chemical process for being turned into sugars. Finally, microbes are added with the chemically processed sugar to produce ethanol ready for usage. Ethanol is used as a biofuel for both ground and aerial vehicles such as, cars, trucks, planes, etc. The fuel is burned to power the engine of these vehicles and as a result carbon dioxide is produced as a gas from the burnt fuel. Then, the gas form is emitted into the atmosphere through the exhaust system of the vehicles. This carbon dioxide gas is later used as an energy source for plants and the whole cycle starts over once again.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response gives a clear overview of the cycle, identifying plant growth, conversion into ethanol, and the return of carbon dioxide to the plants. It also reports the main stages in sequence, including harvesting, pre-processing, cellulose, processing into sugars, and the addition of microbes. The account of ethanol being used by cars, trucks and planes is consistent with the diagram. This is a well-focused and substantially complete description, with the stages connected into the overall cycle. To make the account more precise, avoid adding details not shown, such as fuel being burned in engines and carbon dioxide passing through exhaust systems; these are plausible explanations but are not depicted. The description of carbon dioxide as an energy source is also imprecise: the diagram presents it alongside sunlight as input for plant growth.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised clearly: an introductory sentence is followed by an overview and then a chronological account of the process. Sequencing words such as “Then,” “Finally,” and “as a result” help the reader follow the stages, and the final sentence returns to the cycle’s starting point. The progression is logical throughout. Some linking is a little repetitive, particularly the repeated use of “Then” and “Finally,” and the long final process paragraph combines several distinct stages and explanatory details. Grouping the production stages separately from ethanol use and carbon-dioxide return, and varying transitions more deliberately, would make cohesion more flexible and less noticeable.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The vocabulary is adequate for describing the process, and terms such as “pre-processed,” “cellulose,” “microbes,” and “aerial vehicles” show an attempt to use topic-specific language. Meaning remains clear, but some word choices and collocations are imprecise or unnatural. For example, “an energy from the nature” and “released back into the nature” do not express the intended ideas naturally; “energy from nature” and “released back into the atmosphere” would be more suitable. “The fuel is burned” adds an interpretation rather than simply reporting the diagram, while “chemically processed sugar” is an awkward description of the sugars stage. More precise process vocabulary and natural collocations would provide greater flexibility and accuracy.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex structures, including a relative clause in “which help them grow” and a result clause in “as a result carbon dioxide is produced.” Most sentences communicate the process successfully, but some grammatical errors remain. In “The extracted cellulose undergo,” the singular subject requires “undergoes.” The phrase “for being turned into sugars” is an awkward construction; a clearer form is “to be turned into sugars.” In “such as, cars,” the comma after “such as” is unnecessary, and the long sentence beginning “The fuel is burned” would benefit from clearer punctuation or division. Improving agreement and control of infinitive and participial structures would make the varied sentence forms more accurate.

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