Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-19

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 6.5)

The diagram illustrates the process by which ethanol, a type of biofuel, is produced from plants and trees.

Overall, ethanol production involves several stages, begining with the growth of plant using sunlight and carbon dioxide and continue through harvesting , pre-processing, and processing. The process also forms a cycle in which carbon dioxide is released and reused by growing plants.

To begin with, plants and trees grow by absorbing energy from sunlight and carbon dioxide from atmosphere. Once they have matured, they are harvested using agriculture machinery. The harvested material are then sent for pre-processing, during which they are broken down into smaller pieces. Subsequently, cellulose is obtained from this material and transferred to the processing stage.

Finaly, the cellulose undergoes further processing in and industrial facility to produce ethanol. During this production cycle, carbon dioxide is released and subsequently returned to the atmosphere. This gas is then absorbed by growing plants, allowing the cycle to continue. Consequently, the production of ethanol involves the conservation of plant-based material into biofuel while maintaining a connection between plant growth and carbon dioxide emissions

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the diagram as a production process and give a relevant overview of its plant-growth starting point and carbon-dioxide cycle. The main stages from harvesting through pre-processing and processing are also reported. However, several important details are omitted or unclear: the diagram shows cellulose being processed into sugars, microbes being added, and ethanol then being used by cars, trucks and aircraft. Your account jumps from cellulose to ethanol and does not explain these stages or the transport uses. In addition, “broken down into smaller pieces” is not specified in the visual, and the description of carbon dioxide being returned to the atmosphere is less precise than the diagram’s link from transport emissions back to plant growth. Covering these features would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised into a clear introduction, overview and two chronological body paragraphs. Sequencing expressions such as “To begin with,” “Once,” “Subsequently” and “Finally” help the reader follow the stages, while the final paragraph returns to the cycle described in the overview. This gives the account a logical progression. Some links could be made more precise: “Finaly” introduces ethanol production without explaining the intervening sugars and microbes, so the sequence feels compressed. The phrase “This gas” has a clear general reference, but the connection between transport emissions and plant absorption could be stated more directly. Overall, cohesion is effective, though fuller stage-by-stage linking would make the progression more complete and natural.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of process vocabulary, including “harvested,” “pre-processing,” “cellulose,” “absorbing” and “carbon dioxide,” and the meaning is generally clear. There is also some useful variation in how stages are described, rather than relying only on “then.” However, a few choices are imprecise or awkward: “agriculture machinery” is less natural than “agricultural machinery,” and “conservation of plant-based material” does not express the intended conversion into fuel; “conversion” is the appropriate term. “Returned to the atmosphere” is understandable but less exact than describing carbon dioxide emissions from transport returning to the plant-growth stage. Spelling slips such as “begining” and “Finaly” also limit accuracy. More precise process collocations would strengthen the vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex structures, including the overview sentence beginning “Overall” and the time clause “Once they have matured.” Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, and the sequence is generally easy to follow. Some grammatical errors remain. In the overview, “involves several stages, begining” needs a consistent structure, such as “involves several stages, beginning”; “the growth of plant” needs a plural or article, and “continue” should agree with “production.” There are also agreement and article problems in “The harvested material are” and “in and industrial facility.” The final sentence lacks a full stop. These errors rarely obstruct understanding, but checking agreement, articles and sentence endings would improve control.

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