Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-31

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 image provides us information about the production process of biofuel called ethanol.

Overall, it is a cyclic process, consist of nine steps. It starts from the growth of plants and tress by taking energy from the atmosphere and ends with the ethanol used as a fuel for cars and other vehicles. These vehicles then produced carbondioxide which goes into atmosphere and the process repeat again.

First, palnts and tress grow by absorbing energy through sunlight and carbondioxide and then the harvestation occured. Now pre-processing starts of these harvested plant to make cellulose, those cellulose again goes to machinery for complete processing.

After this final processing occur to make sugar. Finally before the use of ethanol as a fuel for vehicles, there is an important step needed, which is the addition of microbes that mixture actually makes ethanol. After that, when it is used in vehicles carbondioxide produced through their smoke and mix in atmosphere. Then the plants and tress absorb this carbondioxide again and the process repeat by following same steps.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main stages and identify the key feature that makes this a cycle: carbon dioxide released after ethanol is used in transport returns to support plant growth. The sequence from harvesting through pre-processing, cellulose, processing, sugars and the addition of microbes is also reported, so the response addresses the task well. However, the overview says there are “nine steps,” which is not a clear or useful summary of the diagram, and “energy from the atmosphere” is imprecise: the plants use sunlight and carbon dioxide. Some details are underdeveloped, particularly the three transport modes and the conversion of sugars into ethanol. A more precise overview and fuller coverage of these features would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by a description of the stages, and the sequence is generally easy to follow. Connectors such as “First,” “After that” and “Finally” help signal progression. However, the process is described in two paragraphs that both repeat the cycle’s ending, and the final sentence largely restates the overview. Some links are awkward or unclear, as in “those cellulose again goes to machinery,” while “Now” does not add a precise relationship between stages. Grouping the production stages in one paragraph and the transport-and-carbon-dioxide loop in another, with clearer references to each input and output, would make cohesion more controlled.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvesting,” “pre-processing,” “cellulose,” “processing” and “addition of microbes,” which helps communicate the diagram’s stages. There is also some attempt at more specific wording, such as “cyclic process.” However, the range is limited and several noticeable spelling or word-choice errors reduce precision: “tress,” “palnts,” “harvestation,” and “carbondioxide.” Some combinations are unnatural, including “machinery for complete processing” and “that mixture actually makes ethanol.” Prefer standard process collocations and use the diagram’s labels accurately—for example, describe microbes as being added to the sugars, which then produce ethanol. More accurate spelling and less repetitive wording would improve clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a relative clause in “which is the addition of microbes” and a sequence linked with “After that.” The main stages remain understandable, but grammatical errors occur across the response and sometimes make relationships difficult to follow. Examples include “it is a cyclic process, consist of nine steps,” “the harvestation occured,” and “those cellulose again goes.” These show problems with verb forms, agreement and sentence construction. There are also tense inconsistencies in the description, such as “starts” followed by “occurred” and “produced.” Use the present simple consistently for a process, check subject–verb agreement, and divide long or loosely joined sentences into complete clauses.

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