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 diagram demonstrates the process of ethanol production. It involves various stages and wide range of rawmaterials were also added in order to produce ethanol.

Overall, there are various steps in this process, which are interlinked with each other.Therefore omission of any single step, can halt the entire procedure.

The production of ethanol begins with the plantation of sugarcane trees. After which trees reaching their certain level of growth, harvesting is done by farmers. Followed by, pre-processing stage, in which plants sent into mills where liquid is extracted through machines and converted into cellulose.

Moving ahead, Cellulose is subsequently sent for further processing in factories where sugars obtained from the cellulose. Eventually, sugar is added into microbes and hence, ethanol is produced. In the next stages, ethanol is ready to be used in transportation of vehichles such as cars, trucks, aeroplanes and after the use of ethanol carbon-dioxide is produced in large amount which again polluting the plants and trees in the form of energy.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the diagram as a process and describe several central stages, including harvesting, pre-processing, cellulose, processing, sugars, microbes and ethanol. However, the account does not fully match the visual: it says the plants are sugarcane, describes liquid extraction, and refers to “sugarcane trees,” none of which is specified. The overview that omitting any step would halt the process is a general comment rather than a summary of the key features. The final carbon cycle is also misrepresented: carbon dioxide released after ethanol is used by vehicles returns to support plant growth; it does not pollute the plants “in the form of energy.” To strengthen the response, report the cycle accurately and avoid adding unsupported details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs tracing the stages. The sequence is generally easy to follow, and transitions such as “Moving ahead” and “Eventually” help signal progression. However, some linking is mechanical or awkward, as in “After which” and “Followed by,” and the overview’s claim about omitting a step interrupts rather than summarises the process. The final sentence combines ethanol’s use, vehicle types and the carbon cycle in a way that makes the relationship between these ideas unclear. Use direct stage-to-stage links and separate the transport and recycling stages so the progression remains clear.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvesting,” “pre-processing,” “cellulose,” “processing” and “microbes,” which helps convey the main stages. There is also some attempt at more formal wording, such as “subsequently” and “eventually.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for this diagram: “plantation of sugarcane trees,” “liquid is extracted,” and “polluting the plants … in the form of energy.” “Rawmaterials” is incorrectly joined, and “vehichles” is misspelled. These errors make some details less precise. Aim for accurate, conventional process language and check spelling and word forms; for example, describe plants and trees growing, then being harvested, rather than naming an unsupported crop.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses beginning “which” and “where,” and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, complex constructions are often faulty. “After which trees reaching their certain level of growth” is a fragment, while “Followed by, pre-processing stage” is also incomplete. There are errors in articles and sentence structure in “where sugars obtained from the cellulose,” and the final clause “which again polluting” lacks a correctly formed verb. Punctuation and spacing also need attention, as in “each other.Therefore.” Use complete sentences with a clear subject and finite verb, and check verb forms and clause connections before finishing.

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