Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-08

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 step-by-step process of manufacturing sugar from sugar cane.

Overall, there are seven different processes of producing sugar from sugar canes, starting with cultivation of sugar canes to procession on sugar.

The first process is to plant sugar canes and let them grow for 12-18 months till those are ready to harvest. Harvesting process includes two different methods: either they are hand picked or they are harvested by specialised vehicles. Then, the harvested sugar canes are sent for crushing. The sugar canes get crushed by an industrial mill and turned into juice.

The juice is then sent for purification. The juice is purified by a filter of limestones. After purification, the juice is evaporated by heating and gradually, turned into syrup. Next is the centrifugation where the sugar crystals are removed from syrup. Finally, after the separation process, separated sugar crystals are dried and cooled which later turned into sugar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all stages of the sugar manufacturing process, from cultivation to the final product. The overview is clear, identifying the seven stages mentioned in the prompt. However, the response lacks a comparative element. While it mentions two harvesting methods, it does not highlight key features or make comparisons between the stages effectively. The description is largely a sequential list of steps rather than a summary of the main features. To reach a higher band, you should focus on grouping related stages and highlighting the most significant transformations in the process.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized, following the chronological order of the process. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the initial cultivation and harvesting stages from the subsequent industrial processing stages. Cohesive devices such as 'The first process', 'Then', 'The juice is then', and 'Finally' are used to guide the reader through the steps. However, the flow is somewhat mechanical, and the transition between the two paragraphs could be smoother. The use of referencing is generally clear, though some sentences feel slightly disjointed due to repetitive sentence structures.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with terms like 'cultivation', 'purification', 'evaporated', and 'centrifugation' used correctly. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'procession on sugar' and 'filter of limestones' (which should be 'limestone filter'). There is also some repetition of the word 'process'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise verbs and nouns related to industrial manufacturing to demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'till those are ready' (should be 'until they are ready') and 'which later turned into sugar' (which should be 'which are later turned into sugar'). Additionally, the phrase 'procession on sugar' is grammatically incorrect in this context. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of passive voice, which is essential for process descriptions, will help improve your accuracy.

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

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