Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-08

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)

In the process making the sugar, it all starts with the sugarcane farming where the sugarcanes are grown for aroung 12 to 18 months which is almost a one and half year. After growing it needs so be harvested.

There are 2 methods of harvesting which are (1) manual and (2) with machine. The manual method takes lot of time and efforts of human and requires lot of wages to paid to the farmers or workers whereas a single machine itself can handle the work of 50 to 60 workers alone which saves lot or time and actual human effort.

After harvesting the sugarcane it is crushed and convert into juice, which needs to purify for consumption. Later the purified juice is heated or evaporated to make the juice thik in form of syrup which make the seperation of the sugar crystals easy and after that seperation it is dried in the cool area which make it hard and you get your sugar

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main stages in the correct order, including the 12–18-month growing period, two harvesting methods, crushing, purification, evaporation, separation and drying. This gives the reader a broadly accurate account of the process. However, the response does not clearly present an overview of the process as a whole, and several stages are compressed or imprecise: for example, you say the juice is purified “for consumption,” although the diagram shows further processing, and you do not explain that the centrifuge separates sugar crystals from syrup. The claim that one machine can do the work of 50–60 workers and the comments about wages are not shown in the diagram. Focus on the visual information and summarise the key transformation from cane to sugar.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The stages are generally presented in a sensible sequence, and time and sequence markers such as “After growing,” “After harvesting,” and “Later” help the reader follow the process. The response is also divided into short paragraphs, with the harvesting methods grouped together. However, the progression becomes less clear in the final long sentence, which combines purification, heating, syrup formation, separation and drying without clearly distinguishing each stage. Some links are mechanical, and references such as “after that separation” are not fully precise about what is separated. Use a separate sentence for each major stage and connect them with clear process language, such as “The juice is then filtered” and “Next, a centrifuge separates the crystals from the remaining syrup.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “harvested,” “crushed,” “purified,” “evaporated,” “syrup” and “sugar crystals,” which helps communicate the sequence. However, the range is uneven, and several choices are informal, repetitive or inaccurate for a process description. Phrases such as “it all starts,” “make it hard,” and “you get your sugar” sound conversational rather than objective. There are also noticeable spelling and word-form errors, including “aroung,” “thik” and “seperation,” as well as awkward combinations such as “sugarcane farming.” Use precise terms from the diagram—for example, “the cane is processed” and “the crystals are dried and cooled”—and avoid adding unsupported claims about labour or cost.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentence forms, and the reader can usually understand the intended sequence. However, complex sentences are often not controlled accurately, which is consistent with this level. Examples include “After harvesting the sugarcane it is crushed and convert into juice,” where the verb form and passive construction are faulty, and “which make the seperation … easy,” where agreement and sentence structure are unclear. There are also errors in “it needs so be harvested” and “wages to paid.” Punctuation is limited, especially in the final sentence, which runs several stages together. Practise accurate passive forms for processes—“the cane is crushed,” “the juice is heated,” and “the crystals are separated”—and use shorter sentences to control clauses and agreement.

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