Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-24

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 explains the stages of producing sugar from sugar cane following by the factory procedures.

it is clearly seen that making sugar takes around seven different steps to be ready to use. it will start with growing the cane and it will end with drying and cooling the sugar as an end.

At the early stage, the sugar canes will be planted and it require 12-18 months to grow and will be ready for harvesting by either the farmer with simple tools or by the tractor. upon completion of harvesting the sugar canes goes into the third stage which is crushing it with the specific machine and convert it into the juice. after that process, purifying juice is a crucial step with the limestone filter before goes to the fifth stage which is evaporator that filterazed juice will be heat it to ensure becomes a syrup.

The next stage is centrifuge where the sugar crystals will be separated from the syrup. the final and seventh step is drying and cooling sugar in a deep plate.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all stages of the process, from growing the sugar cane to the final product. However, the overview is somewhat weak; it simply states the number of steps rather than highlighting the key features of the process, such as the transition from raw material to juice and then to refined crystals. While the main stages are identified, the description lacks the analytical depth required for a higher band, as it reads more like a list of steps rather than a cohesive summary of a manufacturing process. To improve, ensure the overview synthesizes the information more effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the process. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'the next stage is', 'after that process'). There are also issues with sentence-level cohesion, such as the awkward phrasing 'following by the factory procedures' and 'as an end'. While the progression of ideas is clear, the transition between sentences could be smoother and more varied to improve the flow of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with terms like 'harvesting', 'crushing', 'purifying', and 'centrifuge' used correctly. However, there are several instances of inaccurate word choice and non-standard collocations, such as 'filterazed' (a non-existent word), 'heat it to ensure becomes a syrup' (grammatically awkward), and 'in a deep plate' (which is not an accurate description of the drying process). The range is sufficient to communicate the main points, but the lack of precision in technical terminology limits the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Examples include missing articles ('by the farmer', 'with the specific machine'), subject-verb agreement issues ('it require', 'sugar canes goes'), and incorrect verb forms ('filterazed', 'heat it to ensure becomes'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with several sentences starting with lowercase letters. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors indicate a lack of control over complex structures and basic grammar.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.