Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-06

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 given picture depicts how sugar is made from sugarcane plant.

From diagram sugar manufacturing consists of 7 steps from growing to

drying and cooling.

Firstly, sugarcanes plants are very long and huge amount of grows in form of clusters this plant needs about 12 to 18 months for proper growing. when they are fulled grown framers cut down all of them because they are in greater amount with the help of tructors sugar cane loaded in trucks and ready for the next step which is crushing down all of the sugarcanes put down in large machine it consists a large tray where juice of sugarcane collects. From upper part of machine sugarcanes put down and from last part there is tray where juice is collecting and move toward next step which is filtration with the help of filter paper made of limestone purifying the juice on another side juice pour it in evaporator with specific heat converts the juice into syrup.

In the six step syrup passes to the centrifuge process where small particles present in syrup seperates out .In final step this sugar put in large drums for drying and cooling process and at the end sugar is produced.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as having seven stages and include the growing period of 12–18 months, crushing, purification, evaporation, centrifuging, and final drying and cooling. This covers the main sequence, but the account is only partly complete: the diagram shows two harvesting methods—mechanical and manual—whereas you describe tractors and trucks but omit hand harvesting. Some details are also inaccurate or unsupported: the canes are not described as “very long” or growing in clusters, and the centrifuge separates sugar crystals from syrup rather than simply removing “small particles.” A clearer overview of the transformation from cane to juice, syrup, crystals, and finished sugar, followed by accurate descriptions of each stage, would make the summary more fully task-focused.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response follows the process in a generally logical order, and signposts such as “Firstly,” “In the six step,” and “In final step” help the reader track its progression. The opening also gives a useful overview by stating that there are seven steps. However, most of the account is packed into one long paragraph, and several stages run together, especially the harvesting and crushing details. Some links are unclear: “on another side” does not clearly show how the juice moves from filtration to evaporation, while repeated references to “next step” make the progression mechanical. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and process details, and connect each stage with precise sequencing and reference, such as “The filtered juice is then heated.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “crushing,” “filter,” “evaporator,” “syrup,” and “drying and cooling,” so the reader can recognise the main operations. However, the range is limited and some word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which reduces precision. For example, “filter paper made of limestone” misrepresents the limestone filter, and “small particles … seperates out” does not accurately describe the separation of sugar crystals from syrup. There are also spelling errors such as “seperates” and “tractors” written as “tructors.” Aim for concise, exact process language and check spelling; terms such as “mechanical harvester,” “filtered,” and “sugar crystals” would describe the diagram more faithfully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts some longer sentences to explain how one stage leads to another, and it uses present-tense process language. However, these complex sentences are often faulty or difficult to follow, as in “this plant needs about 12 to 18 months for proper growing. when they are fulled grown framers cut down all of them.” Subject–verb agreement and sentence structure also need attention: “small particles … seperates out” has a plural subject with a singular verb, and “juice … converts the juice into syrup” does not clearly identify what performs the conversion. Capitalisation after full stops and punctuation between clauses are inconsistent. Build accuracy first with shorter, complete sentences, then combine them using controlled clauses—for example, “The juice is heated in an evaporator, where it becomes syrup.”

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

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