Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-03

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 5.0)

The diagram illustrates the processes involved in producing a biofuel known a ethanol

Overall, the process consists of several sequential steps,beginning with harnessing the energy,harvesting,pre-processing,processing and finally producing ethanol.

Initially the energy(sunlight+carbon dioxide) which is absorbed by the plants is harvested, this energy then goes through pre-processing to produce a byproduct named cellulose.

In the next stages cellulose undergo processing to produce sugars, later these sugars combine with added microbes to ultimately produce a biofuel named ethanol.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the topic and mention several relevant stages, including pre-processing, cellulose, sugars, microbes and ethanol. However, the account responds only minimally to the diagram: it omits harvesting as a distinct stage, the three transport uses, and the carbon-dioxide loop that returns to plant growth. The description also misrepresents the early process: sunlight and carbon dioxide support plant growth; the energy itself is not harvested and sent through pre-processing, and cellulose is not described as a byproduct of energy processing. Your overview lists stages but does not capture the diagram’s central feature, its circular cycle. The response is also substantially below the required 150 words. To improve, report the full sequence accurately and include the transport and carbon-recycling stages.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs describing stages. Sequencing expressions such as “Initially” and “In the next stages” help the reader follow the intended order. However, the progression is incomplete because the account stops at ethanol and does not connect the fuel to transport or the return of carbon dioxide to plant growth. Some links also imply inaccurate relationships, particularly the claim that energy “then goes through pre-processing.” The overview repeats a list of stages rather than grouping the process into its plant-growth, fuel-production and recycling phases. A fuller, clearly ordered account with accurate links between each stage would make the organisation more coherent.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use several relevant process terms, including “pre-processing,” “cellulose,” “sugars,” “microbes” and “biofuel,” so the reader can recognise the subject. However, the vocabulary range is limited, and some choices are imprecise or awkward: “energy … is harvested” confuses energy capture with harvesting plants, while “byproduct named cellulose” does not accurately describe the diagram. The phrase “combine with added microbes” is also less precise than describing microbes being added to the sugars. There are noticeable spelling and word-form issues, including “known a ethanol” and “undergo processing.” Use the diagram’s labels accurately and vary process verbs such as “grow,” “harvest,” “convert,” “release” and “return.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, including a sequence joined with “which” and a sentence beginning “In the next stages.” Meaning is generally recoverable, but errors in sentence construction and punctuation are noticeable. For example, “the energy … is harvested, this energy then goes through pre-processing” joins two independent clauses with only a comma. In “cellulose undergo processing,” the subject–verb form is incorrect, and “a biofuel known a ethanol” has an incomplete grammatical construction. Commas are also missing after introductory phrases, and spacing around punctuation is inconsistent. Practise accurate complex sentences and check articles, agreement and clause boundaries; this will make the process easier to understand.

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