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 given diagram illustrates the production procedure for extracting sugar from sugar cane.

Overall, this process is 7 stepped process starting from harvesting to sugar production. The steps including harvesting, crushing, purifying juice, evaporator, centrifuge and drying and cooling. Finally, made sugar is produce.

At the beginning, sugar cane plants aged about 12-18 months get harvested by manually or mechanically by a mechanical harvester. Then, harvested sugar canes crushed into a juice by using a crushing machine. This step is crushing step. Next, juice need to purify. It uses a limestone filter. When juice drains through the limestone filter, it gets purify.

After that, purified juice collected into a barrel and provide heat. Due to this heat extra water get evaporated from the juice. As a result, juice converted to a syrup. Then this syrup tend to centrifuge to separate sugar crystals from the syrup. After this process, output tend to drying and cooling for produce the final output.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the process, from harvesting to the final product. However, the overview is somewhat weak, as it simply lists the steps rather than highlighting the key transformation phases. While the response identifies the main features, the description of the final stages is slightly repetitive and lacks a clear connection between the syrup and the final sugar crystals. To improve, ensure that the overview synthesizes the process more effectively rather than just listing the steps, and focus on the logical flow of the transformation from raw material to finished product.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression from the start to the end of the process. Cohesive devices such as 'At the beginning', 'Then', 'Next', and 'After that' are used to guide the reader through the stages. However, the paragraphing is slightly unbalanced, and some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of cohesive devices to link the sentences more naturally, rather than relying on simple sequential markers.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with terms like 'harvested', 'mechanical', 'purify', and 'evaporated' used correctly. However, there is some repetition of basic verbs such as 'get' and 'produce'. The phrasing 'made sugar is produce' is grammatically incorrect and lexically awkward. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise technical vocabulary related to industrial processes and avoid repetitive, informal verb choices. Expanding your range of synonyms for 'process' and 'steps' would also enhance the quality of your writing.

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 hinder clarity. Examples include 'This step is crushing step' (missing article), 'juice need to purify' (subject-verb agreement), and 'tend to drying' (incorrect verb form). While the meaning is generally understandable, these recurring errors in tense and word form prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of passive voice—which is essential for describing processes—will significantly improve your accuracy.

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