Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-27

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 given man made diagram illustrates the process of making sugar from sugar cane.

Overall, There are eight steps of making sugar. It started with growing sugar cane and end with drying and cooling sugar. The first stage take more time than other all steps.

At a fleeting glance, firstly farmers grow sugar cane in land. It take 12-18 months. Next there are two ways to harvesting. Some people use special vehicles and other cut its by themselves. On the next stage, sugar cane put into a machine for crushing and made its juice. On fourth stage, purifying juice is filtered by the limestone filter.

Moving further, juice is putted into evaporator and it becomes syrup from juice. In six stage separaters sugar crystais from syrup. Now sugar syrup is made in final shape. After that sugar is putted into a big box. In last stage sugar is drying and cooling. Now the sugar is ready for sale.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the sugar production process, from cultivation to the final product. However, the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear overview of the process as a whole. While the student identifies the eight steps, the comparison between the stages is limited to a brief mention of the growing time. To reach a higher band, the response should better highlight the key features, such as the transition from raw material to juice, and then to syrup and crystals, rather than simply listing the steps sequentially. The summary is functional but lacks the analytical depth required for a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the sequence of events. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive and mechanical (e.g., 'Next', 'On the next stage', 'Moving further', 'In six stage'). The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'made its juice' and 'it becomes syrup from juice', which disrupts the flow of information. The progression of ideas is logical, but the lack of varied linking words makes the text feel a bit disjointed. Improving the variety of transition signals would significantly enhance the coherence of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. There are several instances of awkward word choices and inaccuracies, such as 'man made diagram' (which is redundant), 'made its juice' (incorrect collocation), and 'separaters' (spelling error). The student relies on simple verbs like 'grow', 'cut', and 'put', which limits the precision of the description. To improve, the student should incorporate more specific technical vocabulary related to industrial processes, such as 'extraction', 'refinement', 'evaporation', and 'centrifugation', while ensuring correct spelling and collocation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('It take', 'sugar cane put into'), incorrect verb forms ('putted', 'is drying'), and missing articles or prepositions ('in land', 'in six stage'). While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of these errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on consistent verb tense usage and correct sentence construction will be essential for future improvement.

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

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