Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The diagram provides information about how a biofuel production can be done and the process of obtaining ethanol from biofuel.

overall, sun energy and carbon dioxide will be observed by the plants and trees grow after that the crops will be harvested and do the processing of harvested crops make a part of cellulose and grain, cellulose will be used in further processing through several labs tests and from ethanol produced and further used in several transportation facilities.

Initially, plants and trees grow by using sunlight and carbon dioxide. Once they are fully grown, they are harvested and sent for pre-processing. During this stage, the raw materials are prepared before being converted into cellulose. The cellulose is then transferred to a processing plant, where it is broken down into sugars.

In the next stage, microbes are added to the sugars to produce ethanol. The final product is then used as a fuel for different forms of transport, including cars, trucks and aeroplanes. During the use of ethanol, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. This carbon dioxide is subsequently absorbed by plants and trees as they grow, completing the cycle.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main stages accurately, from plant growth and harvesting through pre-processing, cellulose, sugars, microbes and ethanol, and you correctly identify the transport uses and the return of carbon dioxide to plants. The final paragraph gives a clear account of the cycle, while the overview also attempts to summarise the process. However, the overview is difficult to follow and includes details not shown in the diagram, such as “grain” and “several labs tests”; it also does not clearly state that the process is cyclical. The later description is more precise and supplies that missing feature. To strengthen the response further, make the overview concise and fully grounded in the diagram, and avoid adding unsupported stages or materials.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a generally logical structure: an introduction and overview are followed by the early production stages and then the conversion, transport and carbon-dioxide cycle. Sequencing expressions such as “Initially,” “Once,” and “In the next stage” help the reader follow the process. However, the overview is a long, loosely connected sentence, and its sequence is hard to interpret. The transition from this overview to the clearer stage-by-stage account also creates some repetition. Use paragraphing to distinguish the overview from the detailed stages, and make links between steps explicit without repeating the same information. Overall progression is clear, but cohesion is not consistently controlled.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvested,” “pre-processing,” “cellulose,” “microbes,” and “absorbed,” which helps convey the diagram’s stages. There is also some useful variation in describing the material’s movement, such as “transferred” and “converted.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unclear: “sun energy,” “will be observed by the plants,” “make a part of cellulose and grain,” and “several labs tests” do not express the intended process naturally. “Transportation facilities” is also less precise than a term for transport modes. Aim for accurate, conventional process language and avoid adding technical-sounding phrases that are not supported by the diagram.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including time clauses such as “Once they are fully grown” and a relative clause in “where it is broken down into sugars.” Most of the later description is understandable. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly in the overview: “how a biofuel production can be done” has an awkward article and structure, while “plants and trees grow” does not fit grammatically after “the plants and trees.” The sentence beginning “overall” also has unclear clause connections and inconsistent tense choices. Capitalise “Overall,” and check subject–verb agreement, articles and sentence boundaries. More consistently controlled complex sentences would make the process easier to follow.

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