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 illustrates how biofuel is being manufactured which is called ethanol.

Overall, the process consists of seven main stages, beginning with the energy and ending with the biofuel production, with undergoing several stages using physical and chemical process through the machines.

The first stage is plants and trees grow by getting energy from sunlight and carbondioxide which is the main source of energy. Once plant grows, they are being harvested through moving truck. After harvesting, they are being pre-processing by using machine which shaped like the modern machine those break the particles into the pieces before being turn into cellulose. Subsequently, they become processed in the chemical labs.

The next stage after processing, they become small sugars before microbes being added into them. After adding microbes, the final stage is that the ethanol become produced which are being used in cars, trucks and aeroplanes, att which point the cycle begins start.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the diagram as a production process and include several key stages, from plant growth and harvesting through processing, sugars, microbes and ethanol. However, the overview is not fully accurate: it says there are seven stages and that the process ends with biofuel production, whereas the diagram shows a cycle in which carbon dioxide from transport returns to support plant growth. The final paragraph mentions vehicles but does not explain this return loop. Some details are also unsupported or unclear, such as describing a truck for harvesting and chemical laboratories. To strengthen the response, give an accurate overview of the cyclical nature and report the main stages without adding machinery or locations not shown.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear basic structure: an introduction, an overview and a chronological account of the stages. Sequencing expressions such as “The first stage,” “Once,” “After harvesting” and “The next stage” help the reader follow the process. However, the overview’s claim that the process ends with biofuel production conflicts with the later reference to the cycle, and the final sentence stops before explaining how carbon dioxide returns to the plants. Some links are also awkward or repetitive, particularly “After adding microbes, the final stage…” and “at which point the cycle begins start.” Organise the final stages into a complete explanation of the cycle and use linking phrases more precisely.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvested,” “pre-processing,” “cellulose,” “sugars” and “microbes,” which helps convey the diagram’s subject. There is also some attempt to use more specific language, such as “chemical process.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unclear: “biofuel is being manufactured which is called ethanol,” “moving truck,” and “chemical labs” do not describe the diagram precisely. “Carbondioxide” is also misspelled, and “att which point” contains a spelling error. Aim for accurate process collocations and avoid inventing details; for example, describe the material as being processed rather than claiming it is processed in laboratories.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of sentence forms, including a relative clause in “which is the main source of energy” and time clauses such as “Once plant grows.” However, control is inconsistent, and errors sometimes make relationships between stages difficult to understand. Examples include “plants and trees grow” after “the first stage is,” “they are being pre-processing,” and “the ethanol become produced which are being used,” where verb forms and agreement are faulty. The final phrase “the cycle begins start” is also grammatically incomplete. Practise accurate present-simple descriptions of processes, consistent subject–verb agreement, and passive forms such as “is harvested” and “is converted.”

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