Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-24

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 5.0)

The diagram illustrate a biofuel called ethanol is produced in 9 steps in which Energy, Plants and trees grows, Harvesting, Pre processing, Cellulose, Processing, Sugars, Carbon dioxide and Ethanol.

Overall, This process is starting in Energy(sunlight + carbon dioxide) and then other some processes and this diagram is end in carbon dioxide and last produced in Ethanol.

First of all Energy ( sunlight + carbon dioxide) and then plants and trees growing the quickly and then peoples doing harvesting with tractor and pre-processing in the soil seeds are growing very fastly. The Cellulose is a complex carbohyderates found in the cell walls of the plants. The human doesnot digest the cellulose and the next processing, during the processing stage, cellulose is converted in to sugars, which are then used to produce ethanol.The sugars are subsequently converted in to ethanol which can be used as a fuel for vehicles and the carbohyderates ending thie process and Ethanol is produced.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the subject as ethanol production and mention several relevant stages, including plant growth, harvesting, pre-processing, cellulose, processing and sugars. However, the account only partially represents the diagram: it says the process has nine steps and lists carbon dioxide as a stage, while the diagram shows a cycle with transport use and carbon dioxide returning to support plant growth. The overview is also unclear and contradictory: it says the process ends in carbon dioxide, then calls ethanol the last product. The explanation of cellulose digestion is not shown in the diagram, and the claim that seeds grow quickly in soil is unsupported. To improve, give an accurate overview of the cycle and report the stages and links shown, especially microbes being added and ethanol being used by vehicles, without adding outside information.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response with an opening, an overview and a sequence beginning with “First of all”. The stages are presented in roughly the order of production, so the reader can recognise the general topic. However, progression is not consistently clear: the overview is contradictory, and the long final paragraph moves from harvesting to an unrelated explanation of cellulose digestion before returning to ethanol. Linking is limited and sometimes repetitive, particularly the repeated use of “and then”. Paragraphing separates the opening and overview, but the process itself is crowded into one paragraph. Group the stages into a clear sequence, use transitions such as “next” and “after this” selectively, and make the overview accurately describe the cycle.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “harvesting”, “pre-processing”, “cellulose”, “converted” and “fuel”, which helps convey the subject. There is also an attempt to use more specific language, such as “complex carbohydrates” and “cell walls”. However, word choice and spelling are often inaccurate or awkward: “plants and trees grows”, “fastly”, “carbohyderates” and “ending thie process” reduce clarity. Some phrases are imprecise for a process diagram, such as “peoples doing harvesting” and “in the soil seeds are growing very fastly”. Aim for concise, accurate process language and check spelling and collocations. Prefer terms that describe the diagram’s visible stages rather than adding biological details that are not required.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and more complex sentences, including the clause “which are then used to produce ethanol” and the phrase “during the processing stage”. However, grammatical errors are frequent and sometimes make relationships between stages difficult to follow. For example, “The diagram illustrate” has subject–verb disagreement, while “plants and trees grows” has the same problem. The opening sentence is not a complete, well-formed description, and “Overall, This process is starting…” uses an awkward tense and incorrect capitalisation after the comma. There are also errors in sentence boundaries and spacing, such as “ethanol.The”. Practise accurate present-simple passive forms for processes, for example, “the cellulose is converted into sugars”, and check agreement, articles and punctuation.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.