Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-09

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 process of how to manufacture sugar from sugar cane.

Overall, there are several steps in the process of producing sugar from sugar cane. Starting with growing and ending with drying and colling the sugar.

Initially, we need to start growing the Sugar canes for 12 to 18 months and than it is to be harvested at the second stage. Moreover, the Sugar canes are to be crushed through which they will produce juice. Than this juice is to be purified using Limestone filter. It than reaches it's next step in which evaporation takes place and the juice becomes syrup by using the heat in the evaporator.

Regarding the remaining steps, the sugar crystals are seperated from syrup which is called Centrifuge. At the last stage of the process, the sugar which was seperated is than moved to a container in which the drying and colling takes place.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as sugar production and report its main sequence, including the 12–18-month growing period, crushing, purification, evaporation, centrifuging, and final drying and cooling. The overview also gives the correct start and end points. However, some important details are omitted or unclear: harvesting can be done mechanically or by hand, and the centrifuge separates sugar crystals from the remaining syrup. The final sentence suggests the separated sugar is moved to a container, which is not clearly shown; instead, the diagram presents drying and cooling as the last stage. Develop these features more precisely and make the overview a complete summary of the process.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is arranged in a generally logical order, with an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the earlier and later stages. Sequencing expressions such as “Initially,” “Moreover,” and “At the last stage” help the reader follow the process. However, some links feel mechanical or repetitive, particularly the repeated use of “than” and “it,” and the division into “Initially” and “Regarding the remaining steps” does not always make the relationships between stages clear. For example, the transition from evaporation to centrifuging could state directly that the syrup then enters the centrifuge. Use clearer references and a wider range of precise sequencing links to make the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “crushed,” “purified,” “evaporation,” “syrup,” and “sugar crystals,” so the main stages are understandable. However, the range is somewhat limited, and several choices are inaccurate or repetitive. “The process of how to manufacture” is awkward, while “seperated” is misspelled twice and “colling” is also misspelled. Repeating “sugar cane” and “juice” is sometimes necessary, but you could vary the wording with accurate terms such as “the crop,” “the liquid,” or “the resulting syrup” where the reference remains clear. Aim for precise process collocations, such as “is passed through a limestone filter,” rather than relying repeatedly on “is to be.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

Your response includes both simple statements and some attempts at complex structures, and the sequence is usually understandable. However, errors in sentence construction and verb forms recur. The overview fragment “Starting with growing and ending with drying and colling the sugar” is not a complete sentence. In “and than it is to be harvested,” the construction is awkward and the tense pattern is not controlled; “then it is harvested” would be clearer. The sentence beginning “Moreover, the Sugar canes are to be crushed through which…” also has an unclear clause connection. There are some problems with apostrophes and articles, as in “it's next step.” Use complete sentences and consistent present-simple passive forms to describe each stage.

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