Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-01

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 diagram illustrates stages involved in the production of ethanol, which is a biofuel.

Overall, the process consists of eight stages, beginning with cultivating sugar cane, and ending with the use of fuel in different type of vehicles.

The initial stages involve harvesting and processing of the sugar cane to make ethanol fuel. The process begins by harvesting sugar can, which then goes through pre-processing stage. In this stage, cellulose is separated from the sugar cane. The next step is to process them, and remove all the existing sugar out of the sugar cane. Finally, microbes are added to turn it into fuel.

The processed fuel is then used in different modes of transportation like cars, trucks, air planes, etcetera. These vehicles leave carbon footprints, which spreads into the environment. That carbon dioxide is then used by plants to grow because they require sunlight and carbon dioxide. This way the cycle continues to repeat.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the diagram as ethanol production and give an overview of a cycle ending with fuel use and carbon dioxide returning to support plant growth. You also report several relevant stages, including harvesting, pre-processing, cellulose, processing and the addition of microbes. However, some key details are inaccurate or unclear: the diagram shows plants and trees growing, not sugar cane specifically, and it does not show sugar being removed from cane. Rather, processing produces sugars, which are then acted on by microbes to produce ethanol. The overview also says there are eight stages, while the diagram presents a longer sequence. Covering these stages and describing the carbon-dioxide loop more precisely would make the account more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by the production stages and then the fuel-use and recycling stages. Sequencing expressions such as “The next step,” “Finally,” and “then” help the reader follow the process, and the final sentence links back to the beginning of the cycle. This gives the report a coherent progression. Some connections are less precise, however: “process them” has an unclear reference, and “That carbon dioxide” could refer more explicitly to the emissions from the vehicles. The paragraph about production also compresses several stages, making the sequence harder to track. Use clear references and give each major phase a distinct, logically connected explanation.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of process vocabulary, including “pre-processing,” “cellulose,” “microbes,” and “modes of transportation,” so the main subject is generally clear. There are also some attempts at more descriptive language, such as “carbon footprints.” However, several choices are imprecise for this diagram: “cultivating sugar cane” and “sugar cane” are unsupported, while “remove all the existing sugar” misrepresents the production of sugars. “Carbon footprints” is also less exact than “carbon dioxide emissions” in this context. Spelling and word-form slips such as “sugar can” and “air planes” reduce accuracy. Prefer the diagram’s specific terms and use precise process collocations to describe each transformation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including the relative clause in “which is a biofuel” and the reason clause “because they require sunlight and carbon dioxide.” Most sentences communicate the intended sequence, and the present tense is generally appropriate for describing a process. Some grammatical errors remain. For example, “different type of vehicles” needs plural agreement (“different types”), and “goes through pre-processing stage” needs an article (“the pre-processing stage”). In “The next step is to process them, and remove…,” the pronoun reference is unclear and the coordinated verb structure is awkward. Review articles, plurals and parallel verb forms, while keeping the clear present-tense process description.

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