Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The diagram below shows the manufacturing process for making sugar from sugar cane.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

How sugar is produced from sugar cane

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The diagram illustrates the seven stages of how to make sugar from sugar cane .

Overall , the process of producing a sugar goes through 7 stages starting from the growing of sugar canes passed by crushing, prufying ,then evaporator, centrifuge and ended with drying and cooling the sugar.

Initially, the process begin after the growth of sugar canes, which take 12 to 18 months for growing, and harvesting it .Then, crush the sugar canes providing a juice . After that , purifying the juice by a limestone filter and put it on heat to evaporating it untill it transform to a syrup.

substaintely, the process continue by centrifuge , which means separates sugar crystals from syrup. In the final stage , the sugar placed to drying and cooling.

Generally, to make a sugar from sugar canes , the process requir a crushing machine, limestone filter, evaporator and a centrifuge .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as having seven stages and include the key duration of 12 to 18 months for growing the cane. The main sequence from harvesting through crushing, purification, evaporation, centrifuging, and drying is also broadly represented. However, some stages are compressed or unclear: the two harvesting methods are not mentioned, and the final stage is described as sugar being “placed to drying and cooling” rather than explaining that the separated crystals are dried and cooled. Your overview lists the stages but does not clearly summarise the process’s overall transformation from cane to sugar. Develop the key steps more precisely and ensure the overview captures the main progression.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to the early and later stages, and sequencing phrases such as “Initially,” “After that,” and “In the final stage” help the reader follow the process. The stages are generally presented in the correct order. However, some links are mechanical or unclear, particularly “substaintely” and “Generally,” which introduce ideas without adding a clear relationship. The overview also repeats much of the stage list rather than giving a distinct summary, and the final sentence about equipment feels detached from the process description. Use clearer transitions and organise the stages into a more continuous account, with each paragraph serving a distinct purpose.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “limestone filter,” “evaporator,” “centrifuge,” “syrup,” and “sugar crystals,” which helps convey the technical stages. However, the range is limited and several word-choice, word-form, and spelling problems reduce precision: “prufying,” “substaintely,” and “requir” are misspelled, while “put it on heat” and “placed to drying and cooling” are unnatural expressions. “Make a sugar” is also not an appropriate collocation here. Aim for accurate process verbs and natural combinations, such as “the juice is heated,” “the crystals are dried,” and “sugar is produced.” Proofreading spelling and choosing precise verbs would make the description clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex forms, including a relative clause in “which means separates sugar crystals from syrup” and a time clause describing the growing period. However, complex constructions are often faulty, and errors occur across the response. For example, “the process begin” needs subject–verb agreement, while “which take 12 to 18 months” has an incorrect verb form. The sequence “purifying the juice … and put it on heat to evaporating it” mixes grammatical forms, and “which means separates” lacks a grammatical structure. Articles and sentence boundaries are also inconsistent. Practise forming accurate passive sentences for process descriptions, such as “The juice is heated until it becomes syrup,” and check agreement and verb forms in each sentence.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.