Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-05

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 diagram illustrates the process of sugar cane production from sugar precursors.

Overall, sugar cane production is a rigrous and time-consuming process. The process consists of seven steps and takes between a year and a year and a half to produce natural sugar crystals.

To begin with, after the crops are fully grown, the plants are harvested using manual man cutting techniques or specialized trucks. Crops require nearly 12 to 18 months to reach its fully grown phase. After harvesting, the sugar carries are crushed into fine powder producing juicy fluid, which is then purified using limestone specialized filters.

Juice produced from the latter, undergoes several other steps which ends up with the sugar crystal. After purification, the juice is treated with high temperature in order to separate liquid water from syrup sugar. The syrup gets denser and more viscous with time, until reaching the optimum condition. Then, the syrup goes through another separation process which is finally dried and cooled down to get sugar crystals.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main stages of the sugar production process, from harvesting to the final crystal stage. You have successfully identified the key features, such as the duration of growth and the sequence of mechanical and chemical treatments. However, the description of the process is slightly vague in places; for example, referring to 'sugar carries' is inaccurate, as the diagram shows sugar cane being transported. Additionally, the transition between the purification stage and the evaporation stage could be more precise. To reach a higher band, ensure that all technical terms are used accurately and that the relationship between the stages is clearly explained without omitting key steps shown in the diagram.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas follows the chronological order of the process, which is appropriate for this task type. You have used some cohesive devices, such as 'To begin with', 'After', and 'Then', to link your sentences. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'juice produced from the latter'. Improving the variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that pronouns or references clearly point to the intended noun would enhance the flow and coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the process, using terms like 'purified', 'viscous', and 'optimum condition'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For instance, 'sugar carries' is not the correct term for the transport of sugar cane, and 'manual man cutting' is redundant and slightly unnatural. There is also a spelling error ('rigrous'). To improve, focus on using more precise technical vocabulary related to industrial processes and ensure that your word choices are natural and contextually appropriate. Expanding your range of synonyms for process-related verbs would also be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are clear, there are several grammatical errors that occasionally affect the precision of your writing. For example, 'Crops require nearly 12 to 18 months to reach its fully grown phase' contains a subject-verb agreement error ('its' should be 'their'). Additionally, 'which ends up with the sugar crystal' is slightly awkward. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading, particularly regarding subject-verb agreement and the use of articles. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy will help raise your score.

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

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