Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

This picture illustrates how a biofuel known as ethanol is made.

Overall making of ethanol includes many stages for example growth of plants later producing bio fuel. Another noticeable feature is releasing of carbon dioxide which being absorbed by plants creating a cycle.

Initially plants and trees grow by using sunlight and carbon dioxide later when they are matured they are harvested and taken into preprocessing phase where they are converted into cellulose. After this it goes under processing converting it into sugar.

In the next stage when the sugar is made they are added into microbes later they become bio fuel known as ethanol which is used to power for example vehicles, trucks and air planes. These vehicles and planes etc later release carbon dioxide which is absorbed by the plants in order to grow creating a production cycle.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the process as ethanol production and give a useful overview of its two main features: the sequence of production and the carbon-dioxide cycle. The account follows the diagram accurately from plant growth through harvesting, cellulose, processing, sugars and microbes to ethanol, then notes its use as fuel and the return of carbon dioxide to plants. However, some details are less fully reported: the diagram shows ethanol powering a car, truck and aeroplane, and the response refers to these generally rather than clearly describing all three. The response also contains 140 words, below the required 150, so it would benefit from a little more precise detail about the stages and cycle.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by the production stages and then the fuel-use and carbon-recycling stages. Sequencing expressions such as “Initially,” “After this” and “In the next stage” help the reader follow the process. The final sentence also links transport emissions back to plant growth, reinforcing the cycle. Some connections are mechanical or unclear, however. For example, “later when they are matured” and “later they become bio fuel” repeat the same time marker, while “they” in the latter phrase could refer to the sugars or microbes. Use more precise referencing and vary the links between stages to make the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvested,” “cellulose,” “processing,” “microbes” and “absorbed,” which allows the main stages to be understood. There is also some appropriate paraphrasing of the diagram’s labels. However, several word choices and collocations are awkward or imprecise, such as “Overall making of ethanol,” “converted into sugar,” and “used to power for example vehicles.” “Bio fuel” is also better written as one word, “biofuel,” and “air planes” as “aeroplanes” or “aircraft.” Aim for more precise process language and natural collocations; this would make the description clearer and more formal without requiring a much wider vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including a complex overview and longer sentences that connect several stages. The meaning is generally recoverable, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “which being absorbed by plants” lacks a finite verb; write “which is absorbed by plants.” In “when they are matured,” the passive form is unnatural in this context; “when they have matured” is more suitable. The phrase “when the sugar is made they are added into microbes” also shifts from singular “sugar” to plural “they,” making the reference unclear. Add commas after introductory clauses and check agreement and verb forms when joining stages into longer sentences.

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