Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-17

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)

This diagram elaborates the way, how a biofuel (ethanol) is produced. In it one by one whole process is shown.

Overall, this is the process of recycling as shown in this diagram. First process is harvesting plants and trees, and by after all proccessing last one is adding Microbes. However, all process is of 6 stages.

Firstly, plants and trees are grown by emitting sunshine and carbon dioxide, then they are harvested down by machinery. After it, the harvested material came into laboratory for processing, and then it's breaken down into cellulose.

After breaking down into cellulose, it is being processed into main site turning them into specific sugar particles. Then significant types of Microbes are added into it to form ethanol. Then ethanol is used in automobiles and aeroplanes, Then it forms into carbon dioxide which plants and trees use to grow. Overall, this is the process of producing ethanol and it is also a recycling process.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the diagram as a production cycle and cover the main stages from plant growth through to ethanol use and carbon dioxide returning to plants. This gives the reader a generally accurate account of the process. However, some details are unclear or misrepresented: sunlight and carbon dioxide are described as being emitted by the plants, and the sequence around pre-processing, cellulose and processing is confused. The overview also says there are six stages and that microbes are added last, although the diagram shows more stages and microbes are added before ethanol is produced. To strengthen the response, give a precise overview of the cycle and describe the stages in their correct order, including the three transport types.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an overview followed by two paragraphs describing the process, and sequencing words such as “Firstly” and “After” help signal progression. However, the overall progression is weakened by the inaccurate overview and by unclear links between stages. For example, “After breaking down into cellulose” does not clearly explain how pre-processing produces cellulose, while “Then it forms into carbon dioxide” leaves the subject of “it” uncertain. Repetition of “Overall” and repeated use of “then” also make the linking somewhat mechanical. Organise the stages in the diagram’s exact order and use clearer references, such as naming ethanol or the transport vehicles rather than relying on “it.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “harvested,” “cellulose,” “Microbes” and “ethanol,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which sometimes makes the process difficult to follow. For instance, “emitting sunshine” does not express the role of sunlight, “harvested down by machinery” is unnatural, and “main site” does not clearly describe the processing stage. There are also spelling errors such as “proccessing” and “breaken.” Aim for precise process terms and natural combinations, such as “plants absorb sunlight,” “the crops are harvested,” and “the material is converted into sugars.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentence forms, including sequences joined with “then” and “after,” and the general meaning can usually be followed. However, errors in sentence construction and verb forms are frequent enough to cause some difficulty. Examples include “the way, how a biofuel … is produced,” “First process is harvesting,” and “the harvested material came into laboratory,” where articles, tense and sentence structure need attention. The sentence “After breaking down into cellulose, it is being processed” also has an unclear subject and an awkward passive construction. Practise writing direct, complete sentences with consistent present simple or passive forms, for example: “The harvested material is pre-processed to extract cellulose.”

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