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 diagram illustrates how ethanol is produced in biofuel production.

Overall, the process has about eight stages and is cyclical: describing how energy is used in the production of biofeul.

In the first two stages, plants and trees grow using the energy of sunlight and carbon dioxide in the air. These are then harvested and carried in the truck, where it would be pre-proccessed where cellulose is extracted. Next, it is processed in the labortary using funnel and other chemistry tools, to make sugar.

After that, some microbes are added in the sugar solution to make ethanol finally. This ethanol then used in the jet planes and various other vehicles like cars and trucks. These can then produce CO2,;/

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the diagram as a production process and include several key stages, from plant growth and harvesting to processing, microbes, ethanol and transport. The overview also recognises that the process is cyclical. However, the account is only partial: it does not complete the cycle by explaining that carbon dioxide from vehicles returns to support plant growth, and it omits the distinct sugars stage as an output before microbes are added. Some details are inaccurate or unsupported, such as saying the plants are carried in a truck and that processing uses laboratory funnels. The response is also 31 words below the required minimum, limiting the detail available. To strengthen the report, describe the full carbon cycle and each main transition accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic progression, using “In the first two stages,” “Next,” and “After that” to guide the reader through the process. The opening overview also gives the reader a general sense of the diagram. However, the sequence is not fully clear: the sentence about harvesting, transport and pre-processing combines several steps, while the final sentence stops after carbon dioxide is mentioned, leaving the cycle unfinished. The overview’s phrase “describing how energy is used” does not clearly summarise the process. Paragraphing is limited, and some links between stages are abrupt. Organise the report into a brief overview and a clearly ordered description, using references such as “the resulting cellulose” and “these emissions” to connect stages precisely.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvested,” “cellulose,” “microbes,” and “ethanol,” which helps communicate the main subject. There is also some attempt to vary wording with “produced” and “make.” However, the range is limited, and several choices are inaccurate or awkward: “carried in the truck” is not shown in the diagram, “in the laboratory” is an invented detail, and “make sugar” is less precise than describing the production of sugars. Spelling errors such as “biofeul” and “pre-proccessed” are noticeable, while “CO2,;/” is an unsuitable ending. Use accurate process terms such as “converted,” “released,” and “returned to the atmosphere,” and check spelling and word forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You use both simple sentences and some longer structures, including “After that, some microbes are added…” and a sentence beginning “In the first two stages.” However, attempts to combine several stages often produce faulty or incomplete grammar. For example, “Overall, the process has about eight stages and is cyclical: describing…” does not form a complete, logical clause after the colon. In “where it would be pre-processed,” the pronoun reference and passive construction are unclear, and “This ethanol then used” is missing the auxiliary verb “is.” The final sentence is also incomplete, ending with “These can then produce CO2” without explaining the cycle. Practise accurate passive forms (“is processed,” “are added”) and use complete sentences with clear subjects and verbs.

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