Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-26

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 diagram illustrates, the production of a biofuel called ethanol.

Overall, the process consists of 8 main stages, beginning with growing plants and trees and ending with adding microbes to ethanol so carbon dioxide can be produced. It is a cyclical process in which harvesting is the main feature.

Initially, plants and trees are grown using energy, sunligt and carbon dioxide following this harvesting is done by the famrers by a tractor which has a machine behind it. Meanwhile, the harvested plants and trees are pre processed so they convert into small particles. Moreover, they are converted into cellulose which looks like a long chain.

Subsequently, cellulose is processed in the lab by mixing different chemicals which are processed into sugars.Additionally, microbes are added in the sugars which produces ethanol. Therefore, ethanol releases carbon dioxide through different things for example car, trucks and aeroplanes carbon dioxide is used for growing trees and this process continues all over again.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the diagram as a cyclical process and cover the main sequence from plant growth through harvesting, processing, sugar production and ethanol use. You also correctly connect carbon dioxide from transport with the growth of plants. However, the overview contains important inaccuracies: it says there are eight stages and that the process ends with microbes being added to ethanol, whereas microbes are added to sugars before ethanol is produced, and the cycle returns to plant growth. Some details are also unsupported, such as chemicals being mixed in a lab and the plants becoming small particles. To strengthen the response, describe the stages precisely and make the overview focus on the conversion of plant material into ethanol and the carbon-recycling cycle.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and two paragraphs describing the stages. Sequencing words such as “Initially” and “Subsequently” help guide the reader through the process. However, some connections are awkward or unclear. For example, “following this harvesting is done” joins stages without clear punctuation, while “Therefore” does not accurately signal the relationship between ethanol use and carbon dioxide returning to plant growth. The overview also conflicts with the later description of the process. Use clearer sentence boundaries and link each stage directly to the next; a more accurate overview would give the whole account a stronger progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvesting,” “pre processed,” “cellulose,” “sugars” and “microbes,” which helps communicate the diagram’s subject. There is some variety in the verbs used to describe stages, but several choices are imprecise or informal for an academic process description. “Different things” is vague, and “looks like a long chain” describes an appearance that is not needed to explain the process. There are also spelling and form errors, including “sunligt” and “famrers.” Choose precise terms from the diagram and avoid adding speculative descriptions. More accurate collocations, such as “is converted into” and “is used as fuel,” would make the account clearer and more formal.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a relative clause in “a tractor which has a machine behind it” and a passive construction in “microbes are added.” The sequence is generally understandable, but some grammatical and punctuation errors make parts less controlled. The opening comma in “The diagram illustrates, the production” is unnecessary, and the sentence beginning “Initially” runs several ideas together without a clear boundary. In “microbes are added in the sugars which produces ethanol,” the clause structure and subject–verb agreement are faulty. Practise separating stages into complete sentences and checking agreement and punctuation, while retaining a mix of sentence forms.

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