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 manufacturing process for making sugar from sugar cane.
Overall, It is crystal clear that there are eight steps to making sugar from sugar cane. It starts with growing sugar cane and ends with drying and Cooling sugar. The first stage takes more time then all other steps.
At a fleeting glance, Firstly farmers grow sugar cane in land. It takes 12-18 months to harvesting. Secondly, There are two ways of harvest. some individuals use special vehicles and anouther one cut the sugar cane by themselves. On the next stage, sugar canes are puted into a machine for crushing and make juice from sugar canes. On the fourth stage, purifying juice is filtered by the limestone filter.
Moving further, juice is puted into an evaporator and it becomes syrup from juice. The next, one is centrifuge. there separates sugar crystals do difrent from syrup. Now sugar syrup is made in final shape. After that sugar is puted into a big box. On the last stage, suger is dried and cooled. Now the sugar is ready for sale.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all stages of the process, from growing to the final product. However, the overview is somewhat simplistic and lacks a clear summary of the key features, such as the distinction between manual and mechanical harvesting or the transformation of states (solid to liquid and back). While the main steps are identified, the description of the process is occasionally repetitive and lacks the analytical depth required for a higher band. The inclusion of 'man-made diagram' is unnecessary and slightly informal. To improve, focus on grouping the stages more logically and providing a more cohesive overview of the entire manufacturing cycle.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the process. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical and sometimes unnatural, such as 'At a fleeting glance' or 'The next, one is centrifuge'. The transition between sentences feels disjointed at times, and the referencing is occasionally unclear. While the logical progression is generally maintained, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the repetitive use of 'On the... stage' structure limit the flow. Improving the variety of cohesive devices and ensuring smoother transitions between the stages would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'puteds' (a misspelling of 'put') and 'anouther one cut the sugar cane by themselves'. The use of 'final shape' is imprecise in this context. While the student successfully uses technical terms like 'evaporator', 'centrifuge', and 'crystals', the overall range is limited. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on using more precise verbs and nouns related to industrial processes and avoid repetitive or informal language.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('there separates sugar crystals'), incorrect verb forms ('puteds'), and punctuation errors (e.g., unnecessary capitalization in 'Firstly' and 'There'). The use of articles is also inconsistent. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic sentence construction, verb tense consistency, and proofreading for common slips would significantly improve the accuracy of the writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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