Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-21

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 picture is giving the information about the production of sugar from first step to the last. In the first step the sugar can take up to 12 to 18 months in its growth. After the sugar cane is ready it harvesting is start. There are two types of harvesting, first one is you can do it through the harvesting machines and the second method is you can do it manually through the farmers.

Then the third part of this process takes place and it is crushing the sugarcane when the sugar cane is cursh the juice of the sugarcane is processed through the purifying face when the it will purified it goes through the evaporator process and here the purifying juice is heated and it converted into the syrup in this face. And then theCentirifuge process take place where the sugar is seprated by the crystals from syrup.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which negatively impacts the task achievement score. While the student identifies the main stages of the process, the description is incomplete. The response stops abruptly after the centrifuge process, failing to mention the final stages such as drying, cooling, and packaging. Furthermore, the overview is weak; it does not highlight the cyclical or linear nature of the process effectively. To improve, the student must ensure all steps shown in the diagram are described and provide a clear summary of the overall process in the introduction.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response uses some basic cohesive devices such as 'In the first step', 'After', and 'Then'. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. Paragraphing is insufficient; the text is essentially one large block, which makes it difficult to follow the logical flow of the manufacturing stages. The transition between the harvesting and the processing stages is abrupt. To improve, the student should use a wider variety of linking words and organize the response into distinct paragraphs—one for the initial growth/harvesting and another for the industrial processing stages.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. There are several spelling errors, such as 'cursh' (crushed), 'face' (phase), 'Centirifuge' (centrifuge), and 'seprated' (separated). The student relies on simple, repetitive phrasing like 'the third part of this process' and 'the sugar cane is processed'. To achieve a higher score, the student should use more precise technical terminology related to industrial processes, such as 'extraction', 'filtration', 'crystallization', and 'refining', while ensuring accurate spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. Examples include 'the sugar can take up to 12 to 18 months in its growth' (should be 'takes'), 'it harvesting is start' (should be 'harvesting starts'), and 'when the it will purified' (should be 'when it is purified'). The sentence structures are mostly simple or contain errors when attempting complex constructions. There is a lack of control over verb tenses and passive voice, which is essential for describing a process. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of the passive voice would significantly improve the quality of the writing.

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