Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

the pictorial representation insight the information about how a biofuel produced and called as ethanol , along with different steps.

Overall, biofuel contains the energy of natural resources such as plantsand trees grows. which treated with some vital steps which results a final product Ethanol.this process contains many steps if any step is missed then the whole process wil be haulted.

At a fleeting glance, the initial step is harvesting of plants and trees grown which contains energy resources like sunlight and carbon dioxide after that it goes through a crucial step named as pre-processing which helps to refine the raw material to get cellulose.

furthermore,cellulose under the processing while treated with chemicals and leads to a product as sugars. movingforward microbes were added in sugars which makes the final product ethanol and then it is used in different transportations such as car,truck and aeroplanes which emits hazardous gas like carbon dioxide.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the subject as ethanol production and describe several central stages, including pre-processing, cellulose, processing, sugars, microbes and the use of ethanol in transport. However, the account only partly represents the diagram: it does not clearly explain that plants grow using sunlight and carbon dioxide, and it presents harvesting as the initial stage rather than showing plant growth first. The overview is also vague; saying the process has “many steps” does not summarise its main feature as a cycle in which carbon dioxide from transport returns to support plant growth. The claim that chemicals are used is not shown in the visual. To strengthen the response, report the full sequence accurately and make the circular carbon-dioxide link the key overview.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure, moving from an introduction and overview to descriptions of the early and later stages. Sequencing words such as “after that,” “furthermore” and “then” help the reader follow the process. However, progression is not consistently clear: the overview says plants contain energy, while the next paragraph begins with harvesting, leaving plant growth and the energy input insufficiently connected. Some transitions feel mechanical or are joined to the following word, as in “movingforward,” and punctuation around these links is inconsistent. The final paragraph also stops after carbon dioxide emissions without connecting them back to plant growth. Grouping the stages in a clear chronological sequence and using transitions selectively would improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “pre-processing,” “cellulose,” “microbes” and “ethanol,” which allows you to name several stages and materials. There are also attempts at more formal wording, such as “pictorial representation” and “crucial step.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing a process: “contains the energy of natural resources,” “treated with chemicals,” and “different transportations” do not express the diagram’s information precisely. Spelling and word-form issues, including “wil” and “grown,” also reduce control. Aim for direct process language and accurate collocations—for example, plants “grow,” material “is converted into” sugars, and ethanol “is used as fuel” in vehicles.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including a relative clause in “plants and trees grown which contains energy resources” and a sequence linked by “after that.” However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors sometimes make relationships between stages difficult to follow. Examples include “how a biofuel produced,” which lacks an auxiliary, and “which results a final product Ethanol,” where the verb pattern and sentence boundary are incorrect. Agreement and verb forms are also problematic in “plants and trees grows” and “microbes were added in sugars.” Capitalisation and punctuation are inconsistent, particularly in “Ethanol.this process.” Practise accurate passive forms for process descriptions, such as “the material is processed” and “microbes are added,” alongside shorter, correctly punctuated sentences.

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