Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-09

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 given diagram illustrates the manufacturing process for making sugar out of sugar cane.

Overall, sugar production is a 7 stage process starting from growing sugarcane to drying and cooling at the end. The process evolves growing, harvesting, crushing, purifying, evaporating, centrifuging, drying and cooling.

To start with, sugarcanes are grown which take around 12 to 18 months. After growing these sugarcanes harvest through either framing vehicle or by hand. Following this, the harvested sugarcanes crush and turn into juice.

Moreover, the juice is then purify inside limestone filter. Next, the purified sugar cane juice is go to evaporator where using heat juice take a form of syrup. Once this evaporation process is completed, the syrup is ready for centrifuging process where a machine separates sugar crystals from the syrup via spinning. Lastly, the these sugar crystals stored in the container for drying and cooling before any further use case.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all stages of the process, from growing to the final product. The overview is clear, identifying the process as a seven-stage cycle. However, the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a more sophisticated synthesis of the information. While the main features are reported, the response would benefit from more precise language regarding the transitions between stages. For example, stating that the process 'evolves' is slightly inaccurate in this context; 'comprises' or 'consists of' would be more appropriate. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, but the development of the description remains quite basic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized into paragraphs, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'To start with', 'Moreover', 'Next', and 'Lastly' are used to guide the reader through the sequence. However, some of these transitions feel a bit repetitive or mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, though the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and phrases to create a more natural progression of ideas. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate the different stages of the manufacturing process.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe the stages of sugar production clearly. There are some instances of slightly unnatural word choices, such as 'framing vehicle' (likely referring to farm machinery) and 'use case'. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on basic verbs like 'grown', 'crush', and 'purify'. To reach a higher band, the student should incorporate more precise technical terminology related to industrial processes and demonstrate a better grasp of collocations. Spelling is generally accurate throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the accuracy of the writing. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('sugarcanes harvest', 'sugarcanes crush', 'juice take a form') and missing articles or incorrect verb forms ('is go to evaporator', 'the these sugar crystals'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. The student needs to focus on consistent verb tense usage and proper sentence construction to improve clarity and accuracy.

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

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