Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-02
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 Process diagram illustrates the fabrication activity for making sugar from sugar cane. At glace it shows that after harvesting sugar cane providing heat to its juice and afterwards it converted into sugar.
Overall, it is observed that sugar can grows in agriculture land and by farmers and after harvesting it crushed and after some technical process it converted into crystals form.
To begin with, it is observed that it took almost one and half year to grow sugar cane in farmland and afterwards farmer harvest the sugar cane with use of vehicle that use in agriculture. Moreover, after harvesting and collecting it should be sent for crushing and collection of its juice has been done at this stage. Sugar cane's liquid now sent to limestone filter for purification and this juice pour into evaporator where it became syrup by providing heat. Furthermore, next step after heating process crystals is separated from syrup and which sent to dying and cooling for making sugar.
Additionally, this whole process is lengthy and takes too much time to getting the sugar from sugar cane. and due to its technical aspects, its look quite expensive.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
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 superficial. While the key steps are mentioned, the explanation of the process is occasionally imprecise, such as describing the juice as being 'sent to limestone filter' rather than explaining the purification process. The final paragraph includes subjective commentary about the process being 'lengthy' and 'expensive,' which is not supported by the diagram and is irrelevant to a factual summary of a process. To reach a higher band, focus on describing the mechanical and chemical stages more accurately and objectively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of the process. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or misused. For example, 'At glace' (likely meant 'At a glance') and 'To begin with' are used, but the transitions between sentences are often clunky. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'which sent to dying and cooling,' where the subject is missing. The final paragraph feels disconnected from the rest of the report, as it introduces personal opinion rather than continuing the summary of the process.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'fabrication activity' instead of 'manufacturing process,' 'agriculture land' instead of 'farmland,' and 'crystals form' instead of 'crystalline form.' Some phrasing is repetitive, and there are minor errors in word formation, such as 'dying' instead of 'drying.' The range is sufficient to convey the basic meaning, but it does not demonstrate the flexibility or precision required for a higher band score.
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 the flow. Issues include missing articles ('in agriculture land'), incorrect verb forms ('sugar can grows'), and subject-verb agreement errors ('its look quite expensive'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some sentences ending abruptly or containing run-on structures. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage would significantly improve the clarity of the writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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