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 flowchart shows seven steps from cultivation of sugarcane to the production of sugar after processing in industry. First of all, farmers insert "seed-canes" in the soil. Then, these seed-canes grow into complete plants in 12-18 months. After that, farmers harvest the sugarcane plants and transport them to a industry for processing to make sugar from these plants. The sugarcane plants are crushed used a crushing machine which extracts juice from plants and raw material is separated. Afterwards, the extracted sugar is purified using the limestone filter. The next step is to convert sugarcane juice into syrup. The evaporator is used for this purpose which converts juice into syrup through heating. Next, the syrup prepared is rotated using centrifuge to separate sugar crystals from syrup. The sugar crystals stay in center because they have light weight while syrup moves to the side because of heavy-weight during the centrifuge. Finally, sugar is prepared after drying and cooling of sugar syrup. The ready-sugar is then packed and transported to the markets for use.
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 cultivation to final packaging. The main features are identified, and the sequence is logical. However, the response lacks an overview paragraph, which is a key requirement for Band 7+. While the steps are described, the response would benefit from a summary sentence highlighting the transformation from raw material to finished product. The description of the centrifuge process contains a slight misunderstanding of the physics (sugar crystals are actually heavier than the syrup), which slightly impacts the accuracy of the information reported.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is logically sequenced, following the chronological order of the flowchart. Cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'Then', 'After that', and 'Finally' are used to guide the reader through the process. However, the text is presented as a single block paragraph. For a process description, using paragraphing to group stages (e.g., cultivation, processing, and final output) would improve the structure and readability. The referencing is generally clear, though the flow could be improved with more varied transition signals.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with terms like 'cultivation', 'extracted', 'purified', and 'centrifuge' used correctly. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'to a industry' (should be 'an industry') and 'ready-sugar' (which is not standard terminology). The description of the centrifuge process is slightly confusing due to the misuse of 'light weight' and 'heavy-weight' in relation to the physical separation process. Overall, the range is sufficient to convey the process clearly, but it lacks the sophistication required for higher bands.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'crushed used a crushing machine' (should be 'crushed using') and 'the sugarcane plants are crushed... which extracts juice' (subject-verb agreement issue with 'plants'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor errors in article usage and prepositional phrases. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. The control of complex structures is present but not consistently accurate.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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