Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-15

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 process diagram below presents the different stages in a cycle that are followed for the production of a named ethanol.

Overall, the whole mechanism starts from plants and trees that gain natural light and carbon dioxide and are been cultivated. This end with Ethanol being used in vehicles for transportation, travelling and day to day traffic use. The main part is where it gets the purification done by the laboratory.

In the start, the main energy sources Plants and trees that grow under the sunlight and carbon dioxide. This stages is then followed by the harvesting phase where the farmers use the modern technology like tractors. Further in the production, the pre-processing takes place where the useful resources such as cellulose are extracted. From here on, the industrial processing starts and the cellulose is given a further addition of sugars and microbes.

Once this whole phenomena is completed, the biofuel (Ethanol) in its purest form is ready for usage in daily life. The aircrafts, heavy traffic vehicles and cars operate on this fluid. This burning of fuel by this machinery is then resulting in the form carbon dioxide in the air which is used by trees and plants. This way Ethanol is made and used in todays society.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the diagram as a cycle and cover the main stages from plant growth and harvesting through processing to ethanol use and carbon dioxide returning to plants. This gives the reader a relevant overall account. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the diagram shows cellulose being processed into sugars, followed by the addition of microbes, whereas you say cellulose is given “a further addition of sugars and microbes.” The claim that the main part involves “purification” in a laboratory is not shown. Your overview also says plants “are been cultivated,” which does not clearly describe the sunlight and carbon dioxide input. To strengthen the report, describe the stages precisely and make the carbon cycle and the three transport uses explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs following the production sequence and subsequent use. Sequencing phrases such as “Further in the production” and “Once this whole phenomena is completed” help signal progression, and the reader can generally follow the cycle. However, some links are mechanical or unclear, and the overview does not accurately preview the process. For example, “This stages is then followed” and “From here on” connect ideas without making the relationships precise. The final paragraph also repeats the idea of ethanol use rather than clearly distinguishing its use in transport from the carbon dioxide loop. Use clearer stage-to-stage links and organise the overview around the process and its cyclical return.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of process-related vocabulary, including “harvesting,” “pre-processing,” “cellulose,” “industrial processing,” and “carbon dioxide.” These terms help convey the diagram’s subject, and the meaning is usually recoverable. However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural for a process description: “the production of a named ethanol,” “the main part,” and “purification done by the laboratory” do not accurately express the stages shown. Phrases such as “heavy traffic vehicles” and “this whole phenomena” are also awkward, while “fluid” is too general where “fuel” would be clearer. Aim for precise process language and natural collocations, avoiding unsupported descriptions such as purification.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, and the overall sequence can usually be understood. However, errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction recur. Examples include “are been cultivated,” “This end with Ethanol,” “This stages is then followed,” and “the cellulose is given a further addition,” where the grammatical relationships are difficult to follow. The opening of the third paragraph, “In the start, the main energy sources Plants and trees that grow,” is also an incomplete sentence. These problems sometimes obscure how one stage leads to another. Practise forming complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check agreement and tense—for example, use consistent present simple forms to describe the process.

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