Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-14
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 illustrates the production of sugar from sugarcane. There are 7 steps in which sugar is produced from juice.
Initially, There is a time period of growing sugar cane and it is between 12-18 months when the sugarcane is fully developed. Evaporation is major process which sugar juice is converted into sugar.
Firstly, fully grown sugarcane is now harvest by humans or through big harvesting machines and after collecting whole sugarcanes then it crushed it into crusher and extract the juice and juice is store in a container. Afterwards, the extract juice is passed by limestone filter in which all impurities can be taken down and the crucial step is to store in a container after refining and boiling them to evaporate the water into juice so it become sugar syrup. Finally, the syrup is going to the process of centrifuge in which sugar crystals are separate through syrup and last it store in big container for dry and cool.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main stages of the process, from cultivation to the final product. However, the overview is weak; it simply states the number of steps rather than highlighting the key transformation stages. The description of the process is somewhat disjointed, and the inclusion of 'growing' as a step is less relevant than focusing on the industrial manufacturing stages. While the main features are identified, the lack of a clear, cohesive summary of the overall process prevents a higher score. The description of the centrifuge stage is also slightly inaccurate, as it describes separating sugar crystals 'through' syrup rather than 'from' it.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into two paragraphs, but the internal structure is problematic. The transition between the growing phase and the industrial process is abrupt. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Initially', 'Firstly', and 'Afterwards', but they are often used mechanically or incorrectly (e.g., 'after collecting whole sugarcanes then it crushed it'). The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as the use of 'them' when referring to the juice/syrup. The flow of information is hindered by these structural issues, making the progression of the process feel somewhat repetitive and difficult to follow in places.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'all impurities can be taken down' instead of 'removed' or 'filtered out'. The student relies on basic verbs like 'store' and 'crushed'. While the technical terms 'centrifuge' and 'limestone filter' are used correctly, the overall range is limited. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'extract juice' instead of 'extracted juice', which slightly impacts the professional tone required for an Academic Task 1 report.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'There is a time period of growing sugar cane and it is between 12-18 months', which is wordy and grammatically awkward. There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and tense consistency, such as 'sugarcane is now harvest' (should be 'harvested') and 'it crushed it' (passive voice is required here). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. These errors are frequent enough to occasionally impede the clarity of the description.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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