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 diagram below shows how a biofuel ethanol is produced through various steps.

At first, the source of energy(sunlight+carbon dioxide) will be used by the trees and plants. We have to grow plants and trees with proper care. Then, we have to harvest the plants and trees which will start the procedure from pre-processing. Later, it will procude cellulose which will be then taken to the lab for chemical procedure and it will turn the cellulose into sugar. Then, we will add microbes into the sugars to turn it into ethanol. Furthermore, the ethanol will be used in vehicles like cars, trucks, or planes. These vehicles will then release carbon dioxide into our environment.

Lastly, the carbon dioxide will mix up with the environment which will be used in breathing system by the trees again and the producing system will be done in loop.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main sequence from plant growth and harvesting through processing, the addition of microbes, and ethanol use in transport. You also recognise the cycle in which carbon dioxide returns to support plant growth. However, some stages are unclear or inaccurately described: the diagram shows cellulose being processed into sugars, but does not say this happens in a lab or specify a chemical procedure. The overview is brief, and important details—such as the three transport modes and carbon dioxide released from each—are only partly covered. The response is also six words below the required minimum. To strengthen the report, describe the stages precisely and include a clearer overview of the circular process.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The stages are presented in a generally logical order, and sequencing expressions such as “At first,” “Then,” “Later,” and “Lastly” help the reader follow the process. The final sentence also attempts to connect carbon dioxide back to plant growth, giving the response an overall sense of a cycle. However, the answer is written as one paragraph, so the overview and process details are not clearly separated. Some links are mechanical, and “which” in “which will start the procedure from pre-processing” has an unclear reference. Organise the response into an overview followed by a description of the stages, and use more precise links between each input and output.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvest,” “cellulose,” “microbes,” “ethanol,” and “carbon dioxide,” so the reader can identify the main subject and stages. There is also some variation in how you refer to the process, such as “procedure” and “producing system.” However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural for a formal process description: “proper care,” “taken to the lab,” “chemical procedure,” and “mix up with the environment” are not supported by the diagram or do not express the stages accurately. “Sugar” should also be “sugars” to match the label. Aim for concise, diagram-based terms such as “is converted into” and “is released,” and check spelling, including “produce.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple sentences and longer clauses, for example, “Then, we have to harvest the plants and trees which will start…” and “These vehicles will then release carbon dioxide into our environment.” The sequence is usually understandable, but some sentence structures and verb forms are not well controlled. In “which will start the procedure,” the relative clause attaches awkwardly to “trees,” while “it will procude cellulose” has an unclear subject and a spelling error. The repeated use of “will” and “we have to” also makes the description sound like instructions rather than a neutral account of a process. Use present simple or passive forms consistently, such as “The plants are harvested” and “Cellulose is processed into sugars,” and punctuate the stages clearly.

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