Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)

the diagram illustrate the cycle of ethonal.

the diagram shows the process of various steps of how ethonal is made.

engergy and sunlight along carbon dioxide inhill by tress. trees and plants grow by inhillling carbon dioxide. futhermore plants and trees harvested. after that comes the cutting process into small peices then futher goes through a chemical process.Being chemically processed it becomes sugar. the microbes added to sugar, in the result we got ethonal, which used by cars,trucks, and airplanes as fuel.

moreover, cars,trucks, and airplanes released carbon dioxide in to atmosphere. again trees inhill carbon dioxide. thats how the process of this cycle works. the diagram shows how we are contributing to climate change through cutting trees and making ethonal.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the diagram as a cycle and cover several central stages: plant growth, harvesting, processing into sugar, microbes, ethanol, and its use in transport. However, the account is incomplete and sometimes inaccurate. For example, “cutting process into small pieces” is not specified in the diagram, and the key stages of pre-processing, cellulose, and processing are not clearly distinguished. The overview is also weakened by the unsupported claim that the process shows “how we are contributing to climate change through cutting trees”; the diagram instead presents carbon dioxide being taken up by plants and released again through fuel use. The response is also 29 words below the required minimum. Describe the stages more precisely and avoid adding conclusions not shown.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic sequence, moving from plant growth through fuel production to carbon dioxide returning to plants. Paragraph breaks also separate the opening from the process description. However, progression is not consistently clear: the first two sentences repeat the introduction, and the stages are compressed into one long paragraph. Linking expressions such as “furthermore,” “after that,” and “moreover” provide some connection, but they are sometimes awkward or do not clarify the relationship between stages. The final sentence shifts to a climate-change claim rather than completing a neutral process summary. Organise the account into a brief overview and clearly ordered stages, using precise links such as “next,” “following this,” and “finally” only where they fit.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “harvested,” “chemical process,” “microbes,” and “carbon dioxide,” so the reader can recognise the general subject. However, the range is basic and several spelling and word-choice errors make the description less clear, including “ethonal,” “inhill,” “futher,” and “peices.” Some expressions are also imprecise: “cutting process into small pieces” is not the diagram’s label, while “we got ethanol” is informal and does not describe the production stage accurately. Aim for consistent, accurate process terms and formal phrasing. For example, distinguish “pre-processing” from “processing,” and use “is converted into” or “is produced” rather than “we got” to describe the sequence.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response communicates a basic sequence, and some simple clauses are understandable, such as “the microbes added to sugar.” However, grammatical control is weak across the response, with frequent errors in sentence structure, verb forms, articles, and punctuation. For instance, “the diagram illustrate” has incorrect subject–verb agreement, and “which used by cars” is missing an auxiliary verb. The opening fragments (“the diagram shows the process of various steps”) and the run-on sequence beginning “after that comes” also make relationships between ideas difficult to follow. Most sentences rely on simple patterns, with limited accurate complex structures. Practise complete sentences with a consistent present tense, for example: “Microbes are added to the sugars, producing ethanol, which is then used as fuel.”

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.