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 various stages involved in the production of ethanol which is a type of biofuel, showcasing a clear step-by-step progression.

At first glance, it is evident that the entire process consist of several distinct stages, begenning with growing trees and plants and culminating in supplying ethanol to various automobiles.

To commence the process, plants and trees are grown by performing photosynthesis, that helps in enegry consumption. Following this, plants are harvested with tractors driven by labours. Thereafter, these products are pre-processed into small molecules with machines forming large amount of cellulose strips. Subsequently, cellulose strands undergoes chemical proceduresin laboratories to form sugar molecules.

At the end of the process, microbial culture is added to sugar molcules, as a result ethanol is produced. The produced ethanol is utilised by various tranport systems which emits carboon dioxide. This CO2 is absorbed by the plants. This ciruclar and systematic proess ensures the efiicient production of ethanol from plants and tress.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You provide a relevant account of the main production stages and include an overview, identifying growth as the starting point and ethanol supply to transport as the endpoint. The description of harvesting, pre-processing, cellulose, sugar, and microbial addition broadly follows the diagram. This meets the task well, but some details are unclear or not supported: the diagram does not specify that harvesting uses tractors driven by labourers, that pre-processing makes “small molecules,” or that cellulose is formed as “strips.” The overview also misses the cycle’s key role: carbon dioxide released by transport returns to support plant growth. To strengthen the response further, report this circular relationship accurately and describe the stages without adding unsupported technical detail.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response has a clear overall progression, moving from an introductory overview through the production stages to the use of ethanol and the return of carbon dioxide. Paragraphing separates the overview from the process description, and sequencing expressions such as “Following this,” “Thereafter,” and “At the end of the process” help guide the reader. The sequence is generally easy to follow, although the final paragraph compresses several distinct stages and the cycle into a short space. Some linking phrases feel formulaic, and “This CO2” relies on a reference that could be made more explicit. Grouping the stages into clearer production and use/recycling phases, while varying transitions and clarifying references, would make the progression more flexible.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of process vocabulary, including “pre-processed,” “cellulose,” “microbial culture,” and “absorbed,” which helps convey the subject. However, several word-choice and collocation problems reduce precision: “performing photosynthesis” is awkward for describing plant growth, “chemical procedures in laboratories” is not shown in the diagram, and “automobiles” is too narrow for the car, truck, and aeroplane shown. Spelling errors are also noticeable, including “enegry,” “molcules,” “tranport,” “carboon,” and “ciruclar.” These do not prevent understanding, but they limit accuracy and control. Prefer concise, diagram-specific terms and proofread carefully for spelling and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including complex clauses such as “At the end of the process, microbial culture is added to sugar molecules, as a result ethanol is produced.” The stages are usually expressed in a way that remains understandable, and passive constructions suit a process description. Some grammatical errors persist, however. In “the entire process consist,” the singular subject requires “consists”; “cellulose strands undergoes” has a subject–verb agreement error; and “transport systems which emits” also needs agreement. The sentence joining two independent clauses with “as a result” needs stronger punctuation or a conjunction. Continue using varied structures, but check agreement and sentence boundaries systematically.

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.