Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The picture illustrates the production of biofuel that how it is made from some steps.

commence from growing plants and trees where they get energy like sunlight and carbon dioxide from sun and atmosphere, when they grewed the former cut them and take them for the processing. After harvesting, the next step is pre processing where they put them in machines to cut them off into small pieces and get cellulose from it.

Now, the main part starts where it processed in laboratories where they identify sugars than added microbes in it to made ethanol and now ethanol is used in different vehicles like cars, truck and also in planes. But all these engines also produce carbon dioxide that helps to grow plants and trees that used in the first step to made ethanol and due to this factor the circle repeats itself again and again.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main stages, from plant growth and harvesting through processing, the addition of microbes, and the use of ethanol in transport. You also recognise the key overall feature: carbon dioxide from vehicle use returns to support plant growth, making the process cyclical. However, some details are unclear or not supported by the diagram: it does not show that the plants are cut into small pieces, that processing occurs in laboratories, or that sugars are “identified.” The description also gives little detail about the conversion from cellulose to sugars. The response is four words below the required minimum, and the limited development leaves parts of the process only partially explained.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The stages are presented in a generally sensible order, and expressions such as “After harvesting” and “the next step” help the reader follow the sequence. The final sentence also links carbon dioxide emissions back to plant growth, giving the account an overall sense of a cycle. However, the response is written as one continuous paragraph, so the overview and the sequence of stages are not clearly separated. Some links are awkward or unclear, particularly “where they get energy” and “where they put them in machines,” because the references are not precise. Organising the response into a brief overview followed by a clearly sequenced description, with more exact referencing, would make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvesting,” “pre-processing,” “cellulose,” “microbes,” and “carbon dioxide,” which helps communicate the main stages. There is also some useful variation in how you refer to the cycle, such as “repeats itself again and again.” However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or informal: “the former cut them” is unclear, “identify sugars” does not describe the diagram’s process, and “engines also produce” is less precise than describing emissions. “Made ethanol” and “small pieces” are also basic expressions for this task. Aim for more precise process verbs and formal collocations, while checking word forms and spelling, such as “grewed.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts to combine stages using subordinate clauses and sequencing phrases, for example, “After harvesting, the next step is…” and “that helps to grow plants.” However, many sentences contain errors in verb forms, tense, agreement, or sentence construction. Examples include “how it is made from some steps,” “when they grewed,” “the former cut them,” and “to made ethanol.” The long sentence beginning “Now, the main part starts” also joins several stages without clear grammatical control, making the relationships between actions harder to understand. Use consistent present simple for a process description, and practise accurate passive forms such as “is harvested” and “is converted.” Shorter, correctly punctuated sentences would improve clarity while you build more reliable complex structures.

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