Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-30

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 picture, displays the whole process of making ethanol, a biofuel used for different machines. Ethanol making has total ten different steps. The whole process starts with trees and ends into fuel combustion in machines.

Overall, the production of fuel shows how it starts from the initial phase of planting trees then it goes through several factory refineries and chemicals. To make it suitable for ignition some microbes are added to it, so that it can run different automobiles.

Farmers plant sugarcan which grows over the time. When plants become trees , they harvest them to transfer the the factory for money. In factories, pre-processing starts by separating raw material to form cellulose from it. Further, some chemicals are added to make it easy to consume for people, to make edibles sweet by adding sugar to it. Sugar is the substance in which microbs are added to make combusion fuel that helps vehicles to run. Biofuel is one of the reason for making carbon dioxide that pollutes environment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the subject as ethanol production and give a broad start-to-finish account, including harvesting, pre-processing, cellulose, sugars, microbes and carbon dioxide. However, the description only partially reports the diagram and includes several unsupported or inaccurate details: the plants are not specified as sugarcane, farmers do not plant them in the process shown, and the diagram does not show chemicals being added to make food sweet. It also omits the key transport stage, where ethanol is used by cars, trucks and aeroplanes, and does not clearly explain the cycle in which released carbon dioxide returns to support plant growth. Focus on the stages and relationships actually shown, especially the circular nature of the process.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview and a paragraph describing stages. This helps the reader identify the general topic and follow some of the sequence. However, progression becomes unclear when the account moves from cellulose to “chemicals” and edible sugar, which does not match the diagram. Linking is also limited, with repeated use of “to” and “so that,” and the overview repeats general information rather than summarising the cycle’s main features. Organise the body in the diagram’s order and use clear stage links such as “next,” “after this” and “finally.” A separate closing point about carbon dioxide returning to the plants would make the overall progression clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “pre-processing,” “cellulose,” “microbes” and “carbon dioxide,” which helps communicate the subject. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or imprecise for a process description. “Chemicals” and “edibles sweet” introduce meanings not shown, while “fuel combustion” does not clearly describe ethanol being used as fuel. Spelling errors such as “sugarcan,” “microbs” and “combusion” are noticeable, and phrases such as “different machines” are vague. Use the diagram’s labels accurately and choose precise process verbs and nouns; this will make the account clearer without adding unsupported information.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, for example, “When plants become trees, they harvest them…” and “Sugar is the substance in which microbs are added…”. However, control is inconsistent, and several sentence patterns are faulty or awkward. “The picture, displays” has incorrect punctuation, while “The whole process starts from the initial phase of planting trees then it goes…” joins ideas without a clear grammatical link. There are also problems with articles, agreement and sentence construction, as in “Biofuel is one of the reason.” Review sentence boundaries and build longer sentences with accurate clauses, for example, “After harvesting, the plant material is pre-processed to produce cellulose.”

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