TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The dicarboxylic acid is maleic acid (preferred), succinic acid, and oxalic acid. The liquefied lignocellulosic biomass components in the neutralized mixture comprise phenols, furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural. The lignocellulosic biomass is wood. The solid, particulate wood biomass comprises elongate fibrous particles having an average length of at least 1 mm. The dicarboxylic acid constitutes greater than 50%, on a molar basis, of the organic protic species in the aqueous solution. The aqueous solution is essentially free of organic protic species other than the dicarboxylic acid. The dicarboxylate anions are maleate anions. Preferred Method: In the method, contacting the lignocellulosic biomass is at a temperature of at least 100 degrees C for up to 60 minutes. In the method, contacting the neutralized mixture with a cellulase enzyme is: performed with the cellulase enzyme at a concentration of less than 2 mg/g of the lignocellulosic biomass dry matter; and conducted sufficiently to form a flowable enzyme-hydrolyzed composition fluid having a yield stress of less than 1000 Pa. In the method 1: adding is conducted so as to achieve an initial loading of the wood biomass of at least 15 wt/wt.%; and incubating is conducted sufficiently to liquefy at least 10 wt.%. The method-1 comprises neutralizing the flowable composition to form a neutralized composition. In the method-2: the step of incubating is effective to increase the bulk density of the solids by at least 15%, and the step is effective to convert at least 70% of the hemicellulose present in the biomass to monomeric xylose; and the step of incubating occurs in a first vessel. The method-2 further comprises pumping the flowable biomass through a conduit to a second vessel. In the method-3, the step of contacting is conducted with the cellulase enzyme at a loading of less than 2 mg/g. The method-3 further comprises: isolating a solids-free liquid including the xylose and the glucose after the contacting; and forming the mixture by incubating particulate lignocellulosic biomass in contact with a liquid medium comprising a dicarboxylic acid. The second contacting and fermenting steps occurs simultaneously in a single chamber.