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 provided diagram illustrates the step-by-step process of how to produce sugar from sugar cane.

Overall, there are total seven process of manufacturing sugar from sugar cane. The process begin with, sugar plants are growing for 12-18 months, and ended with dying and cooling to produce edible sugar.

In the initial phase, sugar plants take 12-18 months to grow up and be mature for harvesting. In the following stage, when sugar cane becomes mature, there are two ways of harvesting: one way of harvesting is cut down by machine, another way is by human. After that, a machine is used to crush the sugar canes to produce juice.

In the 4th stage, the produced sugar juice is purified by limestone filter. Following that, a evaporator is used to heat the purified juice where juice becomes syrup. In the next phase, centrifuge separates sugar crystals from syrup. In the final stage, the sugar is put in a bag for dying and cooling, after that we find edible sugar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the sugar manufacturing process, from the growth of the cane to the final product. However, the overview is slightly weak, as it focuses on the number of steps rather than highlighting the key transformation stages. While the main features are identified, the description of the harvesting methods and the technical stages (purification, evaporation, and centrifugation) is somewhat simplistic. To reach a higher band, you should aim to synthesize the information more effectively, perhaps by grouping the agricultural and industrial phases more clearly, and ensure that the transition between steps is described with more precision.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the process. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In the initial phase', 'Following that', and 'In the next phase' to signal the progression of the process. However, some of the linking is a bit mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition between the harvesting methods and the crushing stage is abrupt. Improving the variety of your cohesive devices and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'purified', 'evaporator', 'centrifuge', and 'mature'. However, there are some inaccuracies and awkward phrasing, such as 'there are total seven process' (should be 'there are seven processes') and 'grow up' (which is informal; 'mature' or 'develop' is better). The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. To improve, focus on using more precise technical collocations and avoiding repetitive sentence structures that rely on basic verbs.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include 'The process begin with' (subject-verb agreement error: 'begins'), 'sugar plants are growing' (tense error: 'are grown'), and 'a evaporator' (article error: 'an evaporator'). These errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. You should focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement, article usage, and consistent verb tenses when describing a process.

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.