Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-20

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 figure illustrates the cycle of making ethanol biofuel in various steps.

Overall, ethanol produced from various energy sources like sunlight, carbon dioxide , plants and trees and after harvesting they processed in factory where minerals and genetic material seperated from source and final steps involves addition of microbes. Processed ethanol biofuel used in vehicles and then same cycle repeats by carbon dioxide.

The very initial process of Ethanol production starts with eneergy sources like sunlight and carbon dioxide and various plants and trees like wheat , paddy straws harvested by farmer. Furthermore, leftover residue then pre-processed from various machines where cellulose is seperated. The cellulose has some genetic material like sugars , phosphates which are processed into lab.

Processing is crucial step where genetic material like sugars mixed or processed with microbes in controlled environment, ethanol in liquid form is the final process and this fuel used in cars , trucks and airplanes. This cycles continues because vehicular emission like carbon dioxide reused into Ethanol production.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the diagram as a production cycle and cover its main stages, including plant growth, harvesting, pre-processing, cellulose, processing, microbes, ethanol use in transport, and carbon dioxide returning to the plants. This gives the response relevant coverage and a recognisable overview. However, some details are inaccurate or unsupported: the diagram does not mention wheat, rice straw, minerals, phosphates, or genetic material, and it shows sugars being produced before microbes are added. The description of the cycle could also be clearer about carbon dioxide being released by transport and then used in plant growth. Focus on the labels shown and explain the sequence precisely; this would make the key features more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall shape: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs describing the stages. It generally follows the process from plant growth through fuel production to transport and carbon dioxide reuse, so the reader can understand the broad progression. Some links between stages are unclear, however. For example, “The cellulose has some genetic material like sugars, phosphates” does not clearly explain how cellulose becomes sugars, and “This cycles continues because vehicular emission…” compresses the final loop. Connect each stage explicitly with accurate sequencing language such as “next,” “after this,” and “finally,” and use pronouns only when their reference is clear. This would make the progression smoother and less dependent on the reader interpreting the links.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvesting,” “pre-processed,” “cellulose,” “microbes,” and “vehicular emission,” which helps communicate the topic. There is also some attempt at more specific language, such as “controlled environment.” However, several choices are inaccurate or imprecise for this diagram: “genetic material” and “minerals” do not describe the labelled stages, while “various energy sources” misrepresents sunlight and carbon dioxide as equivalent energy sources. Spelling errors such as “seperated” and “eneergy,” along with awkward combinations such as “final process,” reduce precision. Use the diagram’s exact terms and choose collocations that describe the process naturally, for example, “sugars are produced” and “ethanol is used as fuel.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mixture of simple and longer sentences, and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. Some grammatical errors nevertheless affect clarity. In the overview, “ethanol produced” is missing a verb, and “after harvesting they processed in factory” has unclear subject reference and lacks necessary grammatical elements. The sentence beginning “The cellulose has…” also joins ideas in a way that obscures the relationship between them. There are further problems with agreement and articles in “final steps involves” and “Processing is crucial step.” Practise forming complete clauses with an explicit subject and verb, and check singular/plural agreement and articles. Shorter, accurately controlled sentences would help you explain the stages before attempting more complex structures.

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