Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-10
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 procedure for how to make sugar from sugar cane.
overall, there are seven steps. All the steps are interlinked with each other. If omitted, any type may halt the whole process.
after analysing, it can be clearly seen that in the first step, sugarcane is grown in soil in 12 to 18 months. Nextly, sugar cane harvested by farmers. However, sugar cane is crushed with the help of crushing machine and produce juice. In addition, juice is filtered by limestone.
The diagram further,collates in the following step, the juice becomes syrup with the help of heat, then the sugar crystals separated from syrup. In the final step, sugar crystals are cool and dried and sold on the market.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify the process as having seven stages and include the growing period of 12 to 18 months, crushing, limestone filtration, heating, separation, and drying/cooling. These details show a relevant understanding of the diagram. However, the account is incomplete: it does not mention the two harvesting methods, and the overview mainly counts stages rather than summarising the transformation from cane to juice, syrup, and sugar. The claim that the finished sugar is “sold on the market” is not shown in the diagram, so avoid adding unsupported information. The response also contains 122 words, below the required 150, which limits how fully you can report the main features. Develop the overview and include the omitted process details.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The stages are presented broadly in the correct order, and expressions such as “Nextly,” “In addition,” and “In the final step” attempt to guide the reader through the process. The paragraphing also separates the opening from the description. However, progression is not consistently smooth: “The diagram further,collates in the following step” is unclear, and the transition from filtration to evaporation could be expressed more directly. “Overall” should introduce a clear summary of the process, rather than the vague statement that all steps are interlinked. Use a separate overview and organise the remaining stages into a logical sequence, with accurate, varied links such as “After filtration” and “The resulting syrup is then…”
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use relevant process vocabulary, including “crushed,” “juice,” “limestone,” “syrup,” and “sugar crystals,” so the reader can follow the general subject. However, the range is limited and some choices are inaccurate or unnatural. “Nextly” is not a natural sequencing word, “collates” does not describe a process stage, and “sugar cane harvested by farmers” overlooks the diagram’s mechanical method as well as hand harvesting. “Sold on the market” adds an unsupported endpoint. Aim for precise process language and natural collocations, such as “is harvested,” “is passed through a limestone filter,” and “is separated from the remaining syrup.” This would make the description clearer and more appropriate to an academic process report.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response uses mostly simple sentences and a few attempts to link stages, but the range of structures is limited and errors recur. For example, “Nextly, sugar cane harvested by farmers” lacks the auxiliary verb needed for the passive, while “sugar cane is crushed … and produce juice” shifts incorrectly from passive to active agreement. “The sugar crystals separated from syrup” also needs a passive verb, such as “are separated.” Capitalisation is inconsistent after full stops, and the comma in “further,collates” is incorrectly placed. These errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the overall sequence, but they reduce accuracy. Practise consistent present-simple passive forms, which are especially useful for describing manufacturing processes.
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.