Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-16
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 5.0)
As the diagram below illustrates the manufacturing process for making sugar from sugar cane, which consists of total 8 steps.
In the first step the farmer cut the healthy sugar cane stalk into smaller pieces than they dig that pieces into prepared soil and cover them with mud. The growth of sugar cane takes 12-15 months and yields in sugar cane. Then in the second step they start harvesting by cutting the prepared crop and collect them. Following this in the third step they start crushing sugar cane which results in sugar cane juice which is then in fourth step the juice is purified by using limestone filter.
Moreover in the 5th step heat is provided to the juice in the evaporator which then yields in syrup. Whereas in the 6th step centrifuge is use to separate the sugar crystals from syrup. Then in the last step the syrup is set aside to dry and for cooling which yields in sugar.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student attempts to describe the main steps in the sugar manufacturing process, starting from growing and harvesting through to crushing, purifying, evaporating, centrifuging, and drying. However, there are significant inaccuracies compared to the provided diagram. For instance, the text states the first step involves cutting the stalk and digging the pieces into the soil, which misinterprets the agricultural stage shown in the diagram. Furthermore, the overall progression is somewhat confused by adding personal interpretations or inaccurate details not present in the visual data. The response does provide an overview of the process, but the misrepresentation of several key stages prevents it from achieving a higher band score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response makes use of basic sequencing devices such as 'In the first step', 'Then in the second step', 'Following this', and 'Moreover in the 5th step' to guide the reader through the stages of the diagram. However, the paragraphing is poor, as the entire body of the report is clumped into just two dense paragraphs without a clear introductory or overview paragraph separated out. Cohesive devices are sometimes repetitive and mechanical, and referencing is occasionally unclear, which disrupts the logical flow and overall organization of the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range to describe a process, utilizing words such as 'manufacturing', 'harvesting', 'crushing', 'purified', 'evaporator', and 'syrup'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'dig that pieces into prepared soil' instead of planting them, and 'yields in sugar cane' rather than yielding a crop. Spelling and word formation errors also occur ('centrifuge is use'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey a general meaning, these persistent errors and limited flexibility restrict the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar is weak. There are frequent grammatical errors, including run-on sentences with poor punctuation (e.g., 'As the diagram below illustrates... which consists of total 8 steps'), subject-verb agreement issues ('the farmer cut'), and tense inconsistencies. Clauses are often awkwardly linked using 'which' or 'whereby' inappropriately, creating non-standard sentence forms. These frequent errors cause some difficulty for the reader and demonstrate limited grammatical accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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