Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-04

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 graph illustrates that how ethanol is made. The graph shows that the energy is transferred to the trees and plants. The engergy is the sunlight and carbon dioxide. The plants and trees grow and hence it is harvested by the workers and it undergows and pre processing that is then changed to cellulose.

The graph also illustrates that the cellulose undergoes a process which is then changed into sugars and microbes are added which then produces ethanol.

However this ethnol is then used in the planes, jets, trucks and car. The ethanol used in the trucks, planes and cars then form carbon dioxide from the combusion of fuel and ethanol. This carbon dioxide is then transferred in the atmosphere where is goes up in the air, mixed with the sunlight and then transferred back to the trees.

Hence we can see the cycle in the graph of how ethanol is made. This is also known as biofuel production.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main stages, from plant growth and harvesting through cellulose, sugars, microbes and ethanol, and you recognise that carbon dioxide returns to the plants, capturing the diagram’s cyclical nature. The account is relevant and gives the reader a general understanding of the process. However, some details are less fully or accurately explained: the diagram shows sunlight and carbon dioxide as inputs to plant growth, while your wording suggests energy is simply “transferred” to the plants. It also shows carbon dioxide released by vehicles and returned to the plants, not mixed with sunlight in the atmosphere. A clearer overview of the cycle and more precise descriptions of these relationships would make the key features more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The stages are presented in a broadly logical order, and the paragraph break helps separate production from the use of ethanol and the return of carbon dioxide. Linking expressions such as “which is then” and “Hence” also help connect ideas. At times, however, the repeated use of “the graph shows/illustrates” and “then” makes the progression mechanical. Some references are unclear, particularly “it undergoes” and “where is goes up,” so the reader must infer what each pronoun refers to. Organise the account into a clear sequence of stages, use precise nouns such as “the plant material” or “the resulting ethanol,” and vary the linking language to make the relationships easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvested,” “cellulose,” “microbes,” and “carbon dioxide,” which allows you to describe the main stages. However, the range is limited and several word-choice, collocation and spelling problems reduce precision. “The graph” is not the best term for a process diagram, while “ethnol,” “enger(y),” and “combusion” are misspelled. Phrases such as “energy is transferred to the trees and plants” and “used in the planes, jets” are also imprecise or repetitive. Aim for accurate process language and check spelling carefully; terms such as “is converted into,” “is released,” and “is absorbed” would describe the stages more naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, for example, “The plants and trees grow and hence it is harvested…” and the sentence describing microbes producing ethanol. The sequence is generally understandable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. The opening “illustrates that how” uses an unnecessary “that,” and “it is harvested” does not agree clearly with the plural “plants and trees.” In “where is goes up,” the subject and verb form are incorrect, while several long sentences join multiple stages without clear punctuation. Use a wider range of controlled sentence patterns, check agreement and pronoun references, and separate steps into shorter clauses where needed.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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