Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-14

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 seven stages process of making sugar from initial crop growing to obtain final product.

Overall, it is evident that how sugar is produced from sugarcance by harvesting crop and then further crushing process to industrial process by obtaining sugar in the end.

In the first stage, sugarcane crop is cultivated in earth, and crop grows in time of 12-18 months as a full grown crop. In the second stage, harvesting of sugarcane crop is done in two ways, first by farmers who cut this by hand. It can also be done by machinery cutting and get crop easily. In the third satge, Crushing process is started sugarcane crrop is crushed in a crushing machine and a liquid juice is produced, it collected in a container.In fourth satge, Juice is purified by limestone filter for removing the silt in juice. Next heat given to juice for becoming a syrup by evaporator in fifth stage, it gives a syrup form liquid that is thick. In the sixth stage, Centrifuge equipment used to seaprate sugar crystals from the syrup. In the last stage, the thick syrup is passed through drying and cooling process to obtained final sugar that is used in cooking.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully covers all stages of the sugar manufacturing process, starting from the initial crop growing phase through to obtaining the final product. The response correctly identifies key features such as the 12-18 month growing period, the two harvesting methods (manual and mechanical), crushing, purification using a limestone filter, evaporation into syrup, centrifugation, and final drying and cooling. Comparisons and sequences are clearly reported throughout the response. However, some descriptions remain slightly mechanical and rely heavily on step-by-step listing rather than fully synthesising overarching trends, which places this response comfortably at Band 6.5 to 7.0. Given the accurate tracking of the seven stages, a Band 6.5 is awarded.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a clear overall arrangement and progression, moving chronologically through the seven stages of production. Paragraphing is attempted, although the main body is grouped into a single dense block after the introduction, which limits the flow. Cohesive devices such as 'In the first stage', 'In the second stage', and 'In the last stage' are used to structure the sequence, though this reliance feels somewhat mechanical. Referencing is generally clear, but the lack of distinct paragraph breaks for different phases of the process affects the overall visual and structural cohesion. Therefore, a Band 6.0 is appropriate.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing a process, including terms like 'cultivated', 'harvesting', 'crushing machine', 'purified', 'evaporator', and 'Centrifuge equipment'. However, there are notable spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'sugarcance' instead of 'sugarcane', 'satge' instead of 'stage', 'crrop' instead of 'crop', and 'seaprate' instead of 'separate'. Furthermore, phrasing like 'heat given to juice' lacks lexical precision. While the vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main ideas of the diagram, the frequency of slips keeps the score at a Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'Overall, it is evident that how sugar is produced...' and 'In the last stage, the thick syrup is passed through drying and cooling process to obtained final sugar...'. There are several grammatical errors and awkward constructions, including missing articles ('passed through drying and cooling process'), incorrect verb forms ('to obtained'), and awkward passive/active transitions ('crop grows in time of 12-18 months'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the response from reaching Band 6.0. A Band 5.5 reflects this control.

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