Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-16

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 synthsis of a biofuel known as ethanol is illustrated in this figure.

Overall, it shows how plants after thier development processed through several steps in an order to form the biofuel known as ethanol

Initiallly plants undergoes growth and development by capturing energy in the form sunlight in the presence of carbon dioxide then harvesting of these plants takes place afterwards they pass through the pre processsing which results in the synthsis of cellulose and then cellulose is processed by treating it chemically to form sugars eventually, sugars are introduced with microbes which consequently form the ethanol that is used by different means of transportation which removes that carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the subject and give a basic account of the main production stages, from plant growth and harvesting through cellulose and sugars to ethanol. However, the response only partially covers the diagram: it does not clearly describe the full cycle, including ethanol being used by cars, trucks and aircraft and the carbon dioxide returning to support plant growth. The final phrase says transport “removes that carbon dioxide into the atmosphere,” which misrepresents the diagram’s cycle. The overview is also limited to saying the stages form ethanol, without highlighting the circular relationship. The response is 36 words below the required minimum, leaving important details underdeveloped. Add a fuller overview and report the transport and carbon-dioxide stages accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable opening, an overview, and a description of the process in broadly chronological order. Sequencing expressions such as “then,” “afterwards,” and “eventually” help the reader follow the stages. However, most of the process is compressed into one long sentence, so the relationships between stages are difficult to follow and punctuation does not provide clear breaks. The overview is separated into its own paragraph, but the remaining information would be clearer if divided into shorter, logically grouped sentences or paragraphs. Some links are also imprecise: “which removes that carbon dioxide” does not clearly connect transport, emissions and the cycle. Use clear sentence boundaries and explicit links between each stage.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use several relevant process terms, including “harvesting,” “cellulose,” “sugars,” “microbes” and “ethanol,” which make the topic identifiable. There is also an attempt to use more formal wording, such as “illustrated” and “consequently.” However, spelling errors are noticeable, including “synthsis,” “thier,” “Initiallly” and “pre processsing,” and these reduce the accuracy of the vocabulary. Some expressions are awkward or imprecise: “plants after their development processed” and “removes that carbon dioxide into the atmosphere” do not describe the diagram naturally. Choose standard process language and check spelling; for example, describe plants as being harvested and carbon dioxide as being released and then absorbed by growing plants.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts a complex sentence to connect several stages, and the opening sentence is a clear passive construction: “is illustrated in this figure.” However, the range is limited, and the long process sentence contains frequent grammatical problems that make the sequence harder to understand. For example, “plants undergoes growth” has a subject–verb agreement error, while “in the form sunlight” is missing a necessary article and preposition. The phrase “plants … processed through several steps” also lacks a clear grammatical structure, and the final sentence runs together multiple clauses without effective punctuation. Use shorter sentences with a clear subject and verb for each stage, and check agreement, articles and clause boundaries.

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