Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-20

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 4.5)

The given process chart illustrates the manufacturing of sugar from sugar cane.

This whole process involves 7 steps in total. The first and the foremost sugarcane are grown for about 12-18 months afterwards the sugar cane is harvested, then is crushed moving forward, juice is purified using a limestone filter afterwards, the process of evaporation takes place in order to make syrup from juice moving ahead, the process of centrifugation takes place in order to separate sugar crystals from syrup, last but not the least, sugar is dried and cooled.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The student successfully identifies the main topic of the diagram, which illustrates the manufacturing process of sugar from sugar cane, noting the total of seven steps. However, the response falls significantly short of the required 150-word minimum, containing only 90 words. Furthermore, the description of the process is presented as a single run-on sentence rather than a well-structured summary with clear paragraphs. Due to the severe under-length penalty and the lack of a proper overview or detailed development of the individual stages, this criterion cannot exceed Band 4.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0

The text suffers from a major structural flaw as it is written as one continuous, unbroken block of text with no paragraphing whatsoever. The response relies heavily on repetitive and run-on transitional phrases like 'afterwards', 'then', 'moving forward', and 'moving ahead' to link the stages together, creating a breathless and unnatural flow. There is a lack of logical chunking or clear organization, which makes the progression difficult to follow. According to the descriptors, this level of structural deficiency aligns with Band 4.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, closely mirroring the terms provided in the prompt (e.g., 'sugar cane', 'juice', 'limestone filter', 'syrup', 'sugar crystals'). There are few attempts to use less common lexical items or paraphrase the provided data. While the words used are generally recognizable, the limited range and lack of lexical flexibility prevent the response from achieving a higher score. This sits comfortably at Band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

The response is grammatically weak, characterized primarily by a massive run-on sentence structure containing multiple clauses joined incorrectly by commas and informal transitional words (e.g., 'The first and the foremost sugarcane are grown... afterwards the sugar cane is harvested, then is crushed moving forward, juice is purified...'). Punctuation is largely absent or misused, resulting in a lack of proper sentence boundaries. While some simple structures are understandable, the absence of controlled complex sentences and frequent run-on errors restrict the score to Band 4.0.

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.