Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-05

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 illustration depicts how sugar is made from sugar cane and shows the entire manufacturing method step by step.

The 7-step cycle initially involves growing the sugar cane for approximately 12 to 18 months, then harvesting it by various means. The method ends by separating the crystals of sugar from the liquid with process of centrifugation, which are then dried and cooled in a container and eventually producing the refined sugar.

Step 1 involves growing the sugar canes, that takes around 12 to 18 months to be completed. Once it is fully grown, it can be harvested either mechanically or manually by a tractor machine or a farmer, respectively. The harvested cane is then crushed inside a machine in order to obtain its juice.

In step 4, The juice is purified in a limestone containing filter. After the filtration process, the juice is placed in a machine called evaporator, where it is heated and converted into a syrup. The product of evaporation are numerous sugar crystals, that are separated from the syrup by means of centrifugation. The entire cycle ends with drying and cooling the crystals, that leads to the formation of sugar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all stages of the sugar production process, from cultivation to the final refined product. You have successfully identified the main features and provided a clear overview of the cycle. The information is logically sequenced, and the comparison between mechanical and manual harvesting is a good touch. To reach a higher band, ensure that the distinction between the stages is even more precise; for instance, the transition from the evaporator to the centrifuge could be more explicitly linked to the change in state of the juice. Overall, the task is well-addressed with a clear summary of the provided diagram.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized, with a clear introduction and body paragraphs that follow the chronological order of the process. You use transition signals like 'initially', 'once', and 'after' to guide the reader through the steps. However, the paragraphing could be improved; the second paragraph is quite long and contains a mix of summary and specific detail. Dividing the process into distinct phases (e.g., preparation, extraction, and refinement) would improve the flow. Additionally, some cohesive devices, such as 'that' in 'sugar crystals, that are separated', are used slightly awkwardly, which occasionally disrupts the natural flow of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using subject-specific terms like 'centrifugation', 'evaporator', and 'refined'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'limestone containing filter' (which could be more naturally phrased as 'a filter containing limestone') and 'producing the refined sugar' (which is slightly redundant given the context). While you attempt to use precise terminology, the phrasing is occasionally a bit mechanical. Expanding your range of collocations and ensuring more natural phrasing would help elevate your score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are several grammatical slips that occur throughout the text. For example, 'the product of evaporation are numerous sugar crystals' contains a subject-verb agreement error ('product' is singular, 'are' is plural). Additionally, the use of relative clauses is sometimes slightly forced, such as 'crystals, that are separated' and 'crystals, that leads to'. Improving your control over punctuation—specifically the use of commas with non-defining relative clauses—and ensuring subject-verb agreement will significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.

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

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