Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-04

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 outlines the process of manufacturing industrial sugar from raw sugar canes in seven stages : growing, harvesting, crushing, purifying juice, evaporating, centrifuging, and drying and cooling, respectively.

Overall, the diagram is split into two parts one is processing the raw sugar cane. The other is extracting the sugar from the juice. The process contains many crucial tasks like growing, evaporating, and centrifuging.

Step one is to provide the required minerals and proper growing conditions to the sugar canes for 12-18 months. After harvesting, the sugar canes are transported in industrial truck beds for step two, crushing.

Crushing involves repeatedly passing the sugar canes through the machine to extract the juice, now the sugar cane juice is ready for processing.

Moving on, in step four the juice is passed through a limestone filter to remove any impurities. After filtering, in step five the juice is heated to evaporate all the water and leave behind a syrup. Furthermore, this syrup is fed into a centrifuge to isolate the sugar crystals from the syrup in step 6. Consequently, these crystals are sent for drying and cooling to produce sugar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main stages of the sugar production process and provided a clear overview. The response covers all key steps from cultivation to the final cooling phase. However, the overview could be improved by better integrating the two distinct phases (growing vs. processing) rather than stating they are split into two parts. While you mention the stages, the comparison between the agricultural and industrial phases is somewhat superficial. To reach a higher band, ensure that the 'main features' are highlighted more analytically, perhaps by grouping the mechanical and chemical stages more effectively to show the progression of the product.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that follow the chronological order of the process. You use cohesive devices such as 'Moving on', 'After harvesting', and 'Consequently' to guide the reader through the steps. However, the paragraphing is slightly uneven; the second paragraph is quite short, and the transition between the overview and the detailed steps could be smoother. The use of referencing is generally clear, but some sentences feel slightly disjointed due to the repetitive structure of 'Step one', 'step two', and 'step four'.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using process-specific terms like 'purifying', 'evaporate', 'centrifuge', and 'impurities'. The language is generally accurate and appropriate for a technical description. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations or synonyms to avoid repetitive phrasing. For example, instead of repeating 'sugar canes' or 'juice', you could use 'the raw material' or 'the extracted liquid'. The current vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning clearly, but it lacks the flexibility and precision required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are some minor grammatical issues, such as the punctuation in the first paragraph ('seven stages : growing') and the run-on sentence in the second paragraph ('two parts one is...'). Additionally, there are minor errors in article usage and sentence construction, such as 'the sugar cane juice is ready' (which is slightly redundant). Despite these errors, the meaning is always clear, and the grammar does not impede communication. Increasing the variety of complex structures would help elevate the score.

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

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