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)

The process diagram illustrates the making of a biofuel named as ethanol. The process includes different stages for producing this energy source.

Overall, ethanol production has 7 sequential stages of making. The process can be noticed to begin from biological process of plants growth, to the final stages of adding microbes in sugars to form the final ethanol to be used as fuel for vehicles. The process can be obseved to be continuing all the time, and production of energy source being possible in a chain.

Firstly, the energy in forms of sunlight and carbon dioxide is taken by plants and trees from the environment, for the purpose of growth. The grown plants, are then harvested using equipped tractors. Later on, harvested crops are passed through pre-processing process, where they seperate cellulose from the produced crops.

Futhermore, those plants' cellulose are then processed into large facilities, and complex sugars are then derived out from them. Afterwards, certain microbes are then mixed with those derived sugars,

and the final ethanol is prepaired fuly.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the subject and describe several central stages, including plant growth, harvesting, pre-processing, cellulose, sugar production and the addition of microbes. However, the account is only partial: the overview calls this a seven-stage process and ends with microbes being added, while the diagram continues to ethanol and its use in cars, trucks and aircraft. The key circular feature is also not explained: carbon dioxide released by transport returns to support plant growth. Some details are unclear or unsupported, such as saying pre-processing separates cellulose from crops. To improve, give an accurate overview of the complete cycle, then report the stages and the carbon-dioxide link without adding processes that are not shown.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and a chronological account beginning with plant growth and moving through processing. Sequencing words such as “Firstly,” “Later on” and “Afterwards” help the reader follow the stages. However, the progression stops before the diagram’s final stages, so the description does not form a complete account of the cycle. Some linking is mechanical, and the overview repeats the idea of a continuing process without clearly connecting the stages to carbon dioxide returning to the plants. Improve cohesion by grouping the production stages together, then describing fuel use and the return loop, using clear references to connect each stage.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvested,” “cellulose,” “processed” and “microbes,” which helps communicate the subject. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “sequential stages” and “derived.” However, several word choices and collocations are awkward or inaccurate: “making of a biofuel named as ethanol,” “energy in forms of sunlight,” and “large facilities” do not sound natural in this context. Spelling errors such as “obseved,” “seperate,” “Futhermore” and “prepaired” are noticeable. Build accuracy by learning common process-description phrases, such as “ethanol is produced,” “energy from sunlight,” and “sugars are produced,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including passive constructions such as “are then harvested” and “are then mixed,” which are appropriate for describing a process. Most of the sequence remains understandable, but some grammatical errors and awkward structures reduce accuracy. For example, “The process can be noticed to begin from biological process of plants growth” has an unclear construction and missing articles, while “The grown plants, are then harvested” includes an unnecessary comma. In “those plants’ cellulose are then processed,” the subject and verb do not agree. Practise forming clear passive sentences and checking articles, agreement and punctuation; for example, “The plants are harvested, and their cellulose is then processed.”

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