Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-17

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 stages mentioned in this diagram is to make sugar from sugar cane.

Overall, the consist of 7 stages to complete the process, starting with growing the sugar cane and ending with the dying and cooling of sugar.

In the first stage of the process, the sugar canes start to grow which takes around 12 to 18 months. After that, the sugar canes are being harvested using machines or manually. Furthermore, the sugar canes crushed to achieve the ultimate goal. As a result, the crusher provides the juice of the sugar canes which needs to be purify as step number four using a limestone filter.

In the subsequent stages, to make syrups from the juice , heat needs to be provided in the evaporator. As a result, the juice becomes syrup. In order to separate the sugar crystal from the syrup, the syrup is being placed to the centrifuge at sixth stage of this process. In the end, the drying and cooling is required in order to get sugar. Thus, this whole manufacturing process completes the making of sugar from sugar cane.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response successfully covers all the key stages of the sugar manufacturing process depicted in the diagram, ranging from the initial growing phase of 12 to 18 months, through harvesting, crushing, purifying, evaporating, and centrifuging, down to drying and cooling. An overview is attempted in the second paragraph, capturing the total number of stages and the start and end points. However, there are some inaccuracies in reporting specific details, such as stating that the diagram 'is to make sugar' instead of describing the process, and missing minor elements like the two distinct harvesting methods shown. Furthermore, some verbs are awkward or incomplete, such as 'the sugar canes crushed'. Nevertheless, the main features are sufficiently selected and reported to satisfy the requirements for a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into four distinct paragraphs, providing an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing the sequential steps. Cohesive devices and sequence markers are used throughout, such as 'Overall', 'In the first stage', 'After that', 'As a result', and 'In the subsequent stages'. While these help guide the reader through the linear process, some transitions feel mechanical or slightly repetitive (e.g., multiple instances of 'As a result'). Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction and overview from the detailed body steps, maintaining a coherent overall arrangement that meets the criteria for Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully incorporating process-specific terms from the diagram such as 'harvesting', 'crushing', 'limestone filter', 'evaporator', 'syrup', and 'centrifuge'. However, there are noticeable word-choice and form errors throughout the text, including 'the consist of' instead of 'they consist of', 'dying' instead of 'drying', 'needs to be purify' instead of 'purified', and 'sugar crystal' instead of the plural 'crystals'. These inaccuracies demonstrate a limited range and occasional spelling or morphological lapses, placing the lexical performance firmly at Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as subordinate clauses ('in order to get sugar') and passive voice constructions ('are being harvested', 'is being placed'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward phrasing that disrupt accuracy. Examples include subject-verb agreement errors ('The stages... is to make'), missing auxiliary verbs or incorrect verb forms ('the sugar canes crushed'), and clumsy prepositional usage ('placed to the centrifuge'). While meaning is generally clear despite these slips, the high frequency of grammatical inaccuracies prevents the response from achieving a Band 6.0.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.