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 pictorial representation illustrates the information related to the several steps involved in the production of sugar from sugarcane.
Overall, 7 steps are involved in the manufacturing of sugar. Moreover, it begins with the plantaion of sugar in fields and end with the drying where sugar get ready for packaging.
Process begins with growing of sugarcane crop as it takes 12- 18 months for proper growth of it. After this harvesting of sugarcane begins with the help of machines and sharp tools. Furthermore, in third step crushing of sugarcane start where juice form with the help of it and then it send to the industries for further processing. Afterwards, purification of juice begins with the help of limestone paper and purified juice get evaporated in evaporator where juice becomes syrup then sugar crystals get seprates from syrup this process is known as centrifuge. At end, sugar get dry and cool which is ready for market
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student successfully covers all parts of the task by outlining the main stages of the sugar manufacturing process, starting from the cultivation of sugar cane and finishing with the drying and cooling stage. An adequate overview is provided in the second paragraph, correctly identifying the total number of steps (7) and the overall scope of the process. Key features, such as the initial growing period of 12-18 months, the two harvesting methods, crushing, juice purification via a limestone filter, evaporation, centrifugation, and final drying, are all reported. However, some minor inaccuracies are present, such as referring to a 'limestone paper' instead of a limestone filter. Overall, the response satisfies the requirements for Task Achievement well.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is arranged logically with a clear overall progression from the beginning to the end of the manufacturing process. The student attempts to use basic cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Moreover', 'After this', 'Furthermore', and 'Afterwards' to connect ideas. However, paragraphing is somewhat weak, as the entire body of the process description is condensed into a single, dense paragraph. Furthermore, some referencing and transitions feel mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'with the help of it and then it send'. Despite these faults, the logical flow of the process remains understandable throughout.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing a process, incorporating terms like 'manufacturing', 'cultivation', 'harvesting', 'purification', and 'evaporation'. However, there are noticeable word choice errors and typos, such as 'plantaion' instead of plantation, 'limestone paper' instead of limestone filter, 'seprates' instead of separates, and awkward phrasing like 'juice form with the help of it'. Less common lexical items are attempted but lack precision and accuracy, restricting the score to the band 5.5-6.0 range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but grammatical control is inconsistent. There are several missing articles and prepositions (e.g., 'end with drying where sugar get ready', 'harvesting of sugarcane begins with help of machines'), as well as frequent subject-verb agreement and tense errors (e.g., 'sugar get ready', 'juice form', 'it send', 'sugar crystals get seprates'). Punctuation is also lacking, with run-on sentences in the final paragraph that lack proper terminal punctuation or conjunctions. These errors occasionally cause minor strain for the reader.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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