Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-27

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 6.5)

The given diagram illustrates how ethanol biofuel is produced from plants and trees.

Overall, the process consists of several stages, starting with the growth of plants and trees and ending with ethanol as a fuel for transport. It is a continuous process because carbon dioxide is released into the air and is absorbed by the tree again.

First of all, plants and trees grow with the help of sunlight and carbon dioxide in the air. When they are fully grown, they are harvested and sent for pre-processing. After that, the plants are turned into cellulose. This cellulose then sent to the processing stage, where it turned out into the sugar.

In the next stage, microbes are added to the sugar to make ethanol. In the end, the ethanol is used as a fuel for transport. The transport discharges carbon dioxide into the air; plants and trees absorb this carbon dioxide again, and the process of ethanol production continues.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main stages accurately, from plants growing with sunlight and carbon dioxide through harvesting, pre-processing, cellulose, processing, sugars and microbes to ethanol. Your overview also identifies the key circular feature: carbon dioxide from transport is absorbed by plants again. This gives the reader a clear account of the process. Some details are less fully reported, however: the diagram shows ethanol being used by a car, truck and aeroplane, whereas you refer generally to “transport.” Also, “turned out into the sugar” is unclear about the conversion from cellulose to sugars. Naming the three transport modes and describing the stages more precisely would make the account more complete and developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is arranged in a clear sequence, with an opening, an overview and a chronological description of the production stages. Linking phrases such as “First of all,” “After that,” and “In the next stage” help the reader follow the process, and the final sentence returns to the cycle described in the overview. The progression is coherent, though some connections feel mechanical because several stages are introduced with similar sequencing expressions. The paragraph break before the detailed stages is useful, but the first body paragraph ends with an unclear transition into processing. Use more varied links that show relationships between stages, and ensure each sentence connects precisely to the previous one.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “harvested,” “pre-processing,” “cellulose,” “microbes” and “absorbed,” which helps explain the diagram. The terminology is generally relevant and understandable. Some choices are imprecise or repetitive, however: “turned out into the sugar” does not clearly describe the conversion, and “transport” is repeated as a broad label rather than identifying the car, truck and aeroplane. “Discharges carbon dioxide” communicates the idea, but “releases” is more natural in this context. Aim for precise process verbs and use the diagram’s specific terms where possible; this would add flexibility and improve collocation without making the description unnecessarily elaborate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex forms, including the overview sentence beginning “It is a continuous process because…” and the time clause “When they are fully grown…”. Most meaning remains clear, but some grammatical errors are noticeable. In “This cellulose then sent to the processing stage,” the passive verb needs “is”; similarly, “where it turned out” needs an auxiliary. The singular “the sugar” also does not match the diagram’s plural “sugars,” though this is primarily a precision issue. Review passive constructions, which are especially useful for describing processes, and check that each clause has a complete verb. More consistent accuracy in these structures would strengthen the response.

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