Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-18

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 image demonstrates the procedure of production of a biofuel know as ethanol.

Overall, this process initialises with the growth and harvesting of plants and trees and then followed by the production of Ethanol and emmision of Carbon Dioxide.

In the initial phase, Plants and trees are grown with the help of consumption of sunlight and carbon dioxide followed by the harvesting and pre-processing. After the transformation of crops into Cellulose, they are further processed till the formation of sugar molecules.

Futhermore, Macrobes are added into the Sugar molecules resulting in the formation of Ethanol. Moreover, the produced Ethanol is then consumed by multiple vehicles including trucks, cars and areoplanes resulting in the emmision of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere which is further combined with sunlight in formation of Energy. This Energy is then utilized in the growth of plants and trees.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main stages, from plant growth and harvesting through cellulose, sugars and ethanol, and you include the transport use and return of carbon dioxide. This gives the reader a broadly accurate account of the cycle. However, the overview is not fully precise: the diagram shows carbon dioxide returning to support plant growth, while your final sentence says it is “further combined with sunlight in formation of Energy,” which is not how the labels present the cycle. Some stages are compressed, and the response is below the required 150 words, limiting the detail you can provide. To strengthen the report, describe the carbon-dioxide loop accurately and add a little more detail about the sequence and the role of microbes.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall progression: an introduction and overview are followed by the early production stages and then the later stages and cycle. Sequencing phrases such as “In the initial phase” and “Furthermore” help guide the reader through the process. The paragraphing is also appropriate for a short process description. Some links are less effective, however: “Moreover” introduces another stage without adding a clear contrast or emphasis, and the final sentence’s reference to “This Energy” is not fully clear because the preceding sentence describes carbon dioxide being combined with sunlight. Use more precise references and rely on the diagram’s sequence rather than adding connectors where a simple transition would be clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “pre-processing,” “transformation,” “formation,” and “emission,” and the main stages remain understandable. There is some variety in how you describe the sequence. However, several spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision: “know” should be “known,” “Macrobes” should be “microbes,” and “areoplanes” should be “aeroplanes.” Phrases such as “consumption of sunlight” and “combined with sunlight in formation of Energy” are also unnatural or inaccurate for this diagram. Aim for standard process collocations such as “plants absorb sunlight and carbon dioxide” and “carbon dioxide is released,” and check spelling carefully, especially for key labels.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including clauses linked with “followed by” and “resulting in.” The overall meaning is generally recoverable, but some sentence structures are awkward or incomplete. For example, “Overall, this process initialises with the growth and harvesting of plants and trees and then followed by…” does not maintain a consistent grammatical structure; use “begins with … and is followed by …”. In “After the transformation of crops into Cellulose, they are further processed,” the pronoun “they” has an unclear reference. There are also inconsistent capital letters for common nouns such as “Plants,” “Cellulose,” and “Ethanol.” Build clearer subject–verb patterns and check that each pronoun refers unambiguously to a stage or material.

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