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 iillustrates the multistage production process ethanol which is used as a biofuel.

Overall, the ethanol preparation process starts from planting trees and ends with liquid eethanol. The main stages are harvesting, cutting, chemical processing and molicular modification. Its a close loop system where the initial raw materials and final products are produced sequentially.

Firstly, trees grow after tttaking energy from sunlight and carbon dioxide. After harvesting the plats it went to a prepossing where cellulose are separated. After that the cellulose were sent to the lab for chemical processing for producing sugar molecule. Sugar works as the main ingridiant for the production of bio fuel.

Finally, the suger and microbes together makes thge final liquid ethanol. These ethanols are used in the different transportation vehicles like cars, trucks and planes. These vehicles again trasmit carbon dioxide which released in the air. The resealed carbhon dioxide again absorbed by the tress. Thus the cycle of producing ethanol continues.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the process as a cycle and cover its main stages, from plant growth and harvesting through processing, ethanol use in transport, and carbon dioxide returning to the plants. This gives the reader a generally accurate account of the diagram. However, some details are unclear or not supported: “cutting” and “chemical processing” are not labelled stages, and “lab” is not shown. The overview also says the process ends with liquid ethanol, although the diagram continues through transport and carbon dioxide recycling. Explain the cellulose-to-sugars and microbes-to-ethanol stages more precisely, and distinguish the production sequence from the wider cycle to make the key features clearer.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by the early production stages and then the fuel’s use and carbon cycle. Sequencing expressions such as “Firstly,” “After that,” and “Finally” help guide the reader through the process. Some links are mechanical, however, and a few references are difficult to follow. For example, “After harvesting the plats it went to a prepossing” leaves the subject of “it” unclear, while “These ethanols” does not refer naturally to the single fuel shown. Group the stages into more precise sentences and use clear nouns such as “the harvested plants,” “the sugars,” and “the ethanol” to strengthen progression and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “harvesting,” “cellulose,” “microbes,” and “carbon dioxide,” which helps communicate the diagram’s subject. There is also an attempt to use more specific terms, such as “molecular modification,” but this is not an accurate label for a stage shown. Spelling errors and imprecise word choices are noticeable, including “ingridiant,” “suger,” “resealed,” and “transmit,” and they sometimes make the meaning harder to follow. Choose vocabulary that matches the diagram rather than adding technical-sounding descriptions: for example, describe “processing” and the conversion of cellulose into sugars. Proofreading spelling and using standard process collocations would improve clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a relative clause in “which is used as a biofuel” and a sequence of linked process stages. However, some grammatical errors affect clarity. Examples include the missing article and preposition in “production process ethanol,” the tense and agreement problems in “After harvesting the plants it went” and “cellulose are separated,” and the plural agreement error in “sugar and microbes together makes.” The sentence “Its a close loop system” also needs an apostrophe and a more accurate article. Use consistent present simple for a process diagram, check subject–verb agreement, and make the material being acted on the grammatical subject where appropriate.

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