Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-06
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 process diagram illustrates the production of sugar from sugar cane by following seven diffenrent steps.
In the first stage, sugar canes were taken 12 to 18 months to growup. After that, the canes were harvested by two differ methods harvesting machine or hand. In the third stage, sugar canes were crushed and converted into a juice. Apart from this, limestone filter was purified juice as well as removed unnecessary parts.
In the fifth stage, purifying juice was stored into a container and provide heat at certain temprature is called as a evaporator, where juice becomes syrup. Subsequently, centrifuge process was saparates sugar crystals from syrup. In the final stage, sugar made up by crying as well as cooling of sugar crystals.
Overall, the process consists of seven stages. In the beginning, sugar canes were grew in several months, then it was harvested, crushed as well as purified. At the end, sugar produced by drying and cooling of sugar crystals.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all stages of the process, from the growth of the sugar cane to the final product. However, the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear overview of the process as a whole. While the main features are identified, the summary could be more analytical by highlighting the transformation from raw material to refined product. The inclusion of 'seven steps' is a good attempt at an overview, but the body paragraphs could benefit from more precise descriptions of the equipment and the physical changes occurring at each stage, such as the transition from solid to liquid and back to solid crystals.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is logically organized into paragraphs, following the chronological order of the process. Cohesive devices such as 'In the first stage', 'After that', 'Subsequently', and 'In the final stage' are used to guide the reader through the steps. However, the use of some connectors is slightly repetitive or mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, the process steps, and the summary. While the flow is generally clear, the transition between the description of the centrifuge and the final drying stage could be smoother to improve the overall cohesion of the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with terms like 'harvested', 'crushed', 'purified', 'evaporator', and 'centrifuge' used correctly. However, there are several spelling errors, such as 'diffenrent', 'temprature', 'saparates', and 'crying' (intended as drying), which detract from the quality of the writing. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on basic verbs and nouns. To achieve a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more precise terminology related to industrial processes and avoid repetitive phrasing. The word choice is generally functional but lacks the sophistication required for higher bands.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. For example, 'sugar canes were taken 12 to 18 months to growup' is grammatically incorrect, as is 'limestone filter was purified juice'. There are also issues with verb tense consistency and passive voice construction, such as 'sugar made up by crying'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the clarity of the description. A greater focus on subject-verb agreement and correct passive voice formation would 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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