Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-29

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 graphic illustrates the production of a biofuel called ethanol.

Overall, it is clear that there are seven stages in the production of ethanol. In this diagram plants are turned into ethanol fuel, and the carbon dioxide released when this fuel is burned is absorbed by new plants.

To begin with, energy (sunlight + carbon dioxide) goes into the plants and trees, which grow. Then plants and tress are harvested using a tractor and pre-processing is done using machine. After that, this produce cellulose from machine in which it is the plant fibre that comes out of pre-processing. Once this stage is done, it is sent to factory for processing.

After the processing in factory, now sugars are formed and microbes are added to sugars. Following this, ethanol is produced and used as fuel in cars, trucks and airplanes. Finally, carbon dioxide is released and taken in by plants again.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response covers the main stages and gives a relevant overview of the cycle: plants grow, are processed into ethanol, and carbon dioxide from fuel use returns to support new growth. This captures the diagram’s central feature and the sequence is mostly accurate. However, the overview says there are “seven stages,” which does not clearly reflect the full process shown, including microbes being added and ethanol being used by three types of transport. Some details are also unclear or imprecise, particularly “this produce cellulose from machine,” which obscures how pre-processing yields cellulose. To strengthen the account, describe the stages more precisely and include the transport and carbon-dioxide loop as distinct parts of the process.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is arranged in a clear introduction, overview and chronological body, and signposting such as “To begin with,” “After that,” and “Following this” helps the reader follow the process. The final sentence also returns to the cycle introduced in the overview. This gives the account a coherent overall progression. Some links are less successful because the wording makes relationships difficult to follow: “After that, this produce cellulose from machine” does not clearly connect pre-processing with cellulose. The repeated use of “Then,” “After that,” and “Following this” also makes cohesion somewhat mechanical. Use more precise references and vary the links, for example by grouping the initial plant-growth stages and the later conversion and fuel-use stages.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for describing the diagram, with relevant terms such as “pre-processing,” “cellulose,” “microbes,” and “carbon dioxide.” The writer also uses process verbs including “harvested,” “formed,” and “absorbed,” which help convey the sequence. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or vague: “plants and tress” contains a spelling error, “using machine” is imprecise, and “this produce cellulose from machine” does not express the process naturally. “Airplanes” is understandable, though “aircraft” would be a more formal option in this context. Greater precision in describing what each stage produces, and careful proofreading of spelling and collocations, would make the account more fluent and exact.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes a mix of simple and more complex forms, including the relative clause in “carbon dioxide released when this fuel is burned” and the passive construction “microbes are added.” Most of the process remains understandable. Some grammatical errors, however, reduce clarity. In “Then plants and tress are harvested using a tractor and pre-processing is done using machine,” the article before “machine” is missing; “After that, this produce cellulose” has an incorrect verb form and an unclear subject; and “Once this stage is done, it is sent to factory” lacks an article and has an unclear pronoun reference. Practise accurate articles, verb agreement and clear subjects, while retaining the useful range of sentence structures already attempted.

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.