Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-21

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 6.0)

The given diagram illustrates a cycle in which ethanol is prepared using sunlight and carbon dioxide from the environment and then carbon dioxide is returned back to the environment after burning of ethanol.

The process begins when plants and trees absorb sunlight and carbon dioxide from the environment and use them for their growth. Than these plants are harvested, and afterwards pre-processing of the harvested crops is done to get cellulose.

After that, the processing of cellulose is done and we get raw suger. Then the process of fermentation is done in which microbes convert that raw suger into ethanol .

So we finally get ethanol from these processes, that ethanol formed is a biofuel that is used to the engine of different automobiles. In the engine etanol is burnt and these vehicles pump out smoke through exhast pipes. That smoke is basically carbon dioxide, that is returned back to environment from where plants reabsorb it and cycle continues to repeat itself.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main stages and identify the cycle’s key feature: plants take in sunlight and carbon dioxide, while carbon dioxide released after ethanol is used returns to support further growth. The sequence from harvesting through pre-processing, cellulose, processing, sugars and microbes to ethanol is also broadly represented. However, some details are less fully reported: the diagram shows ethanol being used by a car, truck and aeroplane, whereas “different automobiles” is less precise, and the account does not clearly describe the three transport modes. “Raw sugar” and fermentation are reasonable interpretations of the labels, but the diagram itself labels these stages as sugars and microbes being added. A more precise overview and closer reporting of the labelled stages would strengthen coverage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response follows the process in a sensible order, using transitions such as “The process begins,” “After that,” and “Then,” so the reader can follow the cycle from plant growth to carbon dioxide returning to the environment. The opening also gives a useful overall description. However, the account is presented as one continuous paragraph, and several transitions are repetitive or mechanical. The final section moves quickly from ethanol to engines, smoke and plant reabsorption, with “that smoke” referring somewhat loosely to emissions. Divide the response into an overview and a clearly staged description, and use more precise links between the production stages and the transport-use cycle.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvested,” “pre-processing,” “cellulose,” “microbes” and “carbon dioxide,” which allows the main stages to be understood. There is some useful variation in describing the cycle, but several choices are imprecise or unnatural for an academic process report: “prepared using” could be more exact, “used to the engine” is an awkward collocation, and “pump out smoke” is informal. Spelling errors such as “suger,” “etanol” and “exhast” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise process verbs and standard technical spelling, and avoid conversational wording when describing emissions and fuel use.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including a relative clause in “in which microbes convert that raw suger into ethanol” and a sequence of linked stages. The overall meaning is generally clear, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “Than these plants are harvested” uses the wrong form of the transition, and “ethanol formed is a biofuel that is used to the engine” has an incomplete article pattern and an incorrect preposition. The final sentence also joins several independent ideas with commas, creating a run-on structure. Check articles and prepositions in verb patterns, and separate long sequences into complete, clearly punctuated sentences.

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