Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The process of forming Ethanol starts from plants and trees. First of all the energy is abosrbed ny the plants in the fom of sunlight and carbon dioxide. This resource serves as the fuel for the plantrs and trees to develop. After the plants and trees have grown, then they are harvested. The trees are chopped then loaded up on to trucks. After this process the tree is pre-processed. The cellulose is extracted from the product of pre-processed tree. Then the cellulose is taken to be processed. The sugars present in the cellulose are extracted and some essential microbes are added in the sugars. When the microbes are added after some amount of time the ethanol is formed. Ethanol works as a fuel for planes,cars and other vehicles. When vehicles work, they emit carbon dioxide, which is released into the atmosphere. The carbon dioxide is then again used by the trees. Hence, this process works in an endless cycle.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You cover the main stages from plant growth through harvesting, processing, sugar production and the addition of microbes, and you identify the cycle in which carbon dioxide returns to the plants. However, some details are not supported by the diagram: it does not say that trees are chopped and loaded onto trucks, or that cellulose is extracted from the pre-processed material. The account also says sugars are extracted from cellulose, whereas the diagram simply shows processing leading to sugars. Your overview is present in “this process works in an endless cycle,” but the description could be more precise about ethanol being used by three transport types and carbon dioxide being released from them. These omissions and unsupported details leave parts of the process only partially reported.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The stages are generally presented in a sensible order, and sequencing phrases such as “First of all,” “After this process,” and “Then” help the reader follow the production sequence. The final sentence also gives the process a clear cyclical ending. However, the response is written as one continuous paragraph, so the stages and overall cycle are not visually distinguished. Some links are repetitive or awkward, particularly the repeated use of “then” and “After this process.” The reference in “this resource” is also not fully clear, since it refers to the energy just mentioned. Grouping the production stages together and separating the overview or carbon-dioxide return stage would make the progression clearer and cohesion less mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvested,” “pre-processed,” “cellulose,” “microbes,” and “carbon dioxide,” which allows the reader to understand the main stages. There is some variety in how you describe the sequence and the final fuel use. However, several choices are imprecise or informal for a process report: “works as a fuel” and “some amount of time” do not describe the diagram precisely, while “the product of pre-processed tree” is an awkward phrase. Spelling errors such as “abosrbed,” “fom,” and “plantrs” are noticeable and reduce accuracy. Aim for precise process collocations and check spelling carefully; this would make the vocabulary more reliable and appropriate to the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes both simple sentences and attempts at longer structures, for example, “When the microbes are added after some amount of time the ethanol is formed.” Most of the sequence remains understandable, but control is uneven. The opening sentence, “The process of forming Ethanol starts from plants and trees,” has an awkward grammatical construction, and “The cellulose is extracted from the product of pre-processed tree” lacks a clear article or plural form. In “When vehicles work, they emit carbon dioxide,” the wording creates an unclear relationship between the vehicles and the process. Punctuation is also inconsistent, including missing spaces after commas in “planes,cars.” Use clearer clause structures and check articles, plurals, and punctuation to improve accuracy.

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