Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The diagram illustrates the transformation of biofuel in to ethanol.

Overall, the it consist of a several step before the formation of ethanol. There are almost seven steps: major steps are plant and trees grows, harvesting,processing, and sugars.

Commencing with the first step, plant and tree grows, After that the process of harvesting begins the crops are cut and gather and crops are preprocessed by using machine. Subsequently, cellulose are extracted and seperated form crops and plants, Furthermore the processing step begins in which the cellulose are processed and reasearch is started in which scientist starts research and converted in to sugars, microbes are added and Eventually ethanol is made by using all these steps.

Ethanol is used in vehicles for example cars, trucks and airplane when the engine burns ethanol it starts releasing carbondioxide CO2 in Atmostphere and then Energy, sunlight and carbondioxide combines and become a source of trees and then this recycle process starts again.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main stages from plant growth through harvesting, processing, sugar production and the addition of microbes, then describe ethanol use in transport and the return of carbon dioxide to plant growth. This gives the reader a broadly accurate account of the cycle. However, the overview is unclear: “There are almost seven steps” does not capture the full sequence, and the key circular relationship could be stated more directly. Some details are also unsupported or imprecise, such as saying that “research is started” during processing; the diagram shows processing, not research. To strengthen the response, summarise the cycle clearly and report the stages without adding explanations that are not shown.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response follows the diagram’s general order and uses sequencing expressions such as “Commencing with,” “Subsequently,” and “Eventually.” The final paragraph also moves from ethanol use to carbon dioxide returning to plant growth, which helps convey the cycle. However, the overview and body are not clearly separated, and several stages are crowded into one long sentence, making the sequence harder to follow. Punctuation and transitions are sometimes faulty, as in “After that the process of harvesting begins the crops are cut and gather.” Use distinct paragraphs for the overview and process details, and divide the stages into shorter sentences with clear links between them.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvesting,” “cellulose,” “microbes,” and “ethanol,” and you attempt more specific terms such as “preprocessed” and “extracted.” This gives you enough vocabulary to communicate the main process. However, several word choices or forms are inaccurate or awkward, including “transformation of biofuel in to ethanol,” “crops are cut and gather,” and “source of trees.” Spelling errors such as “seperated” and “reasearch,” along with inconsistent forms of “carbon dioxide,” also reduce precision. Aim for accurate process collocations and consistent spelling, rather than adding details such as research that the diagram does not show.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including a sequence linked with “Subsequently” and a conditional-style explanation beginning “when the engine burns ethanol.” However, control is uneven, and errors sometimes make relationships between stages difficult to understand. Examples include “the it consist of a several step,” “plant and tree grows,” and “cellulose are extracted,” which show problems with articles, agreement and plurals. Sentence boundaries are also unclear in “the process of harvesting begins the crops are cut,” while capitalization and punctuation are inconsistent. Build accuracy by checking subject–verb agreement and articles, and separate each process stage into a complete sentence before attempting longer structures.

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.