Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Ethanol is a clear, colorless and flammable organic chemical compound which belongs to alcohol family. The Diagram illustrates the production of ethanol as a biofuel.

So the process of making biofuel ethanol is pretty much challenging. First the farmer harvesting the plants and crops, by then it undergoes pre-processing after the pre-processing it converts to cellulose which a natural, organic compound and a polysaccharide. Further on after converting to cellulose it goes under the processing of making sugars which ultimately be made after this process.

Last but not least, microbes will do his role by converting sugars into alcohol through fermentation by this process the ethanol produced. They act as the chemical factories of the process. After this process the biofuel ethanol produced which is then use for multiple mechanical and automobile engines for example: car, truck and an aeroplane.

This process is act like a cycle and runs in a loop. It forms a closed carbon cycle, plants to grow, get turned into fuel, and release that same CO2 when burned.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the subject and describe several central stages, including harvesting, pre-processing, cellulose, processing, sugars, microbes and ethanol. Your overview that the process forms a cycle and returns carbon dioxide to plants is also relevant. However, some stages are unclear or inaccurately explained: the diagram shows cellulose being processed into sugars, but your wording says sugars are “made after this process” without clearly linking the stages. You also add unsupported details, such as defining ethanol and describing microbes as “chemical factories,” while omitting the initial role of sunlight and carbon dioxide in plant growth. To strengthen the response, report the sequence more precisely and include the transport uses and carbon-dioxide return as parts of the cycle without adding background claims not shown in the diagram.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable beginning, a description of the production stages, and a concluding statement about the cycle. This gives it some overall organisation, and phrases such as “Further on” and “Last but not least” signal movement through the process. However, progression is not consistently clear: “after the pre-processing it converts to cellulose” leaves the subject of “it” uncertain, and the transition from sugars to microbes and ethanol is compressed into a difficult sentence. Some linking phrases sound mechanical or conversational rather than guiding the reader through a process. Organise the stages in a clear sequence, use paragraphing to separate the production stages from the cycle overview, and make references explicit—for example, name the material being converted at each step.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “pre-processing,” “cellulose,” “microbes,” “fermentation,” and “carbon cycle,” which helps convey the topic. There is also an attempt to use more specific language than a basic list of stages. However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural for an academic process description: “pretty much challenging” is an unsupported evaluation, “do his role” is an unsuitable collocation, and “multiple mechanical and automobile engines” does not accurately describe the diagram’s transport examples. Some technical detail about ethanol’s properties is unnecessary. Prefer concise, diagram-focused terms and accurate collocations, such as “microbes convert sugars” and “ethanol is used as fuel in vehicles and aircraft.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, and the final sentence communicates the broad idea of a closed carbon cycle. However, control of sentence structure and verb forms is inconsistent, particularly in the longer descriptions. For example, “First the farmer harvesting” lacks a finite verb, while “which ultimately be made” has an incomplete verb construction. In “microbes will do his role by converting sugars … by this process the ethanol produced,” the pronoun, clause connection and verb forms are not controlled. Articles and agreement also need attention in “belongs to alcohol family” and “This process is act like a cycle.” Build each stage with a clear subject and verb, and check tense consistency, articles and sentence boundaries.

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.