Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-23

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 image illustrates the process of formation sugar from sugar canes. The complete process consists of seven different segments.

This process begins with the growth of sugar canes and ends up by drying and cooling the raw materials in the form of usable sugar, which has been processed from multiple steps.

In the first step sugar canes are grown, which is a time taking process and takes areound 12 to 18 months to completely prepare for harvesting. Once the crop is grown it can by harvested manually or with the aid of automatic machines which collects the sugar canes in a container. This coolected grain is the crusshed with the help of a machine which extracts its juices.

This juice is filtered with the aid of a limestone filter. It is then heated to a certain temperature, that juice is vapourized and turns in the form of spray. This spray is poured into a special container called centrifuge which is rotated to from crystals from the spray. These crystals are then dried and cooled to form the usable sugar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all stages of the process, from growth to the final product. However, the overview is somewhat weak; it describes the number of steps rather than highlighting the main features or the nature of the process (e.g., the transition from raw material to refined product). While the sequence is logical, the description of the 'centrifuge' and 'spray' stage is slightly inaccurate based on the typical interpretation of such diagrams, suggesting a lack of precision in reporting the visual data. To improve, ensure the overview synthesizes the process more effectively and provides a clearer summary of the transformation involved.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the process. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In the first step', 'Once', and 'These crystals', which provide a clear progression. However, the transition between the harvesting and the crushing stage is a bit abrupt. The paragraphing is appropriate for a process description, but the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect the technical stages more fluidly. Overall, the information is arranged coherently, and the progression is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with terms like 'harvested', 'filtered', 'vapourized', and 'centrifuge' used correctly. However, there are several spelling errors, such as 'areound', 'coolected', 'crusshed', and 'vapourized' (which is acceptable but inconsistent with 'vaporized'). Additionally, the phrase 'formation sugar' is grammatically incorrect; it should be 'the formation of sugar'. While the student attempts to use technical terminology, the recurring spelling mistakes and minor word-choice inaccuracies limit the score. More attention to proofreading and precise collocations would enhance the lexical quality.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'takes areound 12 to 18 months to completely prepare for harvesting' (missing subject) and 'it can by harvested' (incorrect modal construction). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some run-on sentences and missing commas that affect readability. While the meaning is clear, the frequency of errors in basic sentence construction prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent verb forms will help improve accuracy.

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

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