Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-11

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 pictorial representation delineates the manufacturing of sugar from sugar cane .

In overview , it is evident that there are approximately 7 steps in the production of sugar from sugar cane . All the steps are of the utmost importance . If any single step is missed , the process is halted .

The process commences when the sugar canes are grown in the farm for at least 12 - 18 months . Then the harvesting of the same takes place either with the tractor or by the farmers themselves . The third step is to crushed the sugar canes in the machine to obtain the juice .

Turning to the rest of the details of this process , the juice is then purified in the limestone filter , which is then passed to the evaporator to become syrup by providing heat . The process culminated when the centrifuge separates sugar crystals from syrup , which is then dry and cool .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the process, from growing the sugar cane to the final drying and cooling. However, the overview is slightly weak; stating that there are '7 steps' and that they are 'of the utmost importance' is unnecessary filler that does not describe the process itself. To improve, focus on the key features of the transformation, such as the transition from solid cane to juice, then to syrup, and finally to crystals. The description is generally accurate, but it lacks a clear summary of the overall nature of the process (e.g., a linear manufacturing cycle).

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 'The process commences', 'Then', 'The third step', and 'Turning to' are used to guide the reader through the sequence. However, the connection between sentences is sometimes mechanical. The second paragraph is largely redundant and does not contribute to the description of the process, which slightly disrupts the flow of information. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different stages of production.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, using process-specific terms like 'manufacturing', 'purified', 'evaporator', and 'centrifuge'. However, there are some awkward word choices and phrasing, such as 'grown in the farm' (should be 'on a farm') and 'harvesting of the same' (which is overly formal and slightly unnatural). The range is sufficient to convey the meaning, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score. Spelling is generally accurate throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that hinder the quality of the writing, such as 'to crushed the sugar canes' (should be 'to crush') and 'which is then dry and cool' (should be 'dried and cooled'). Additionally, the phrase 'The process culminated' is incorrect in this context; 'culminates' would be more appropriate for describing a recurring process. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the process, they occur frequently enough to limit the score.

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

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