Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-21

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)

The diagram illustrate the process of production the sugar from sugar cane.

"Overall, the process start with growing sugar cane for 12-18 months and finishes with drying and cooling sugar crystals.The main stages of harvesting, crushing and purifying juice. Followed by heating and separating the sugar.

To begin with, sugar cane is grown for 12-18 months until it's ready for harvest. it can be collected by hand or machine. harvest and crushed in the machine for the juice.Following this juice purified using limestone filter.

Afterwards, purifed juice heated and evoporated and when water removed juice become sryup. After that, the sryup is placed in centrifuge and the separated sugar crystals from sryup .Final stage produce the crystal dried and cooling and sryup is ready to use as sugar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student covers all the key stages of the sugar manufacturing process, from the initial growing period of 12-18 months through harvesting, crushing, purifying, evaporating, centrifuging, to the final drying and cooling. An overview is attempted at the beginning, though it is slightly fragmented. However, the response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, containing only 128 words. This under-length limitation restricts the extent to which the stages can be fully developed and discussed, capping the achievement score. To improve, the writer must ensure all instructions, including word count minimums, are strictly met and provide a more fully elaborated overview.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The text demonstrates a basic logical progression that follows the linear steps of the diagram. The writer uses some transitional markers such as 'To begin with', 'Afterwards', and 'Final stage'. However, paragraphing is irregular and confusing, with a fragmented structure that breaks up the flow of the report. Cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or misused, such as 'The main stages of harvesting, crushing and purifying juice. Followed by heating and separating the sugar', which forms a sentence fragment. Referencing and referencing ties need to be strengthened to create a smoother, more unified reading experience.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for describing a process, incorporating terms like 'harvest', 'crushed', 'limestone filter', 'evaporated', and 'crystals'. However, there are numerous word form errors and lexical inaccuracies, such as 'production the sugar', 'purifed', 'evoporated', and 'sryup' (repeatedly misspelled). The student attempts some less common vocabulary related to the process, but the persistent spelling errors and inaccurate word choices detract from the overall quality and occasionally impede clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response includes a mix of simple and attempted complex structures, but grammatical control is weak. There are frequent errors in basic grammar, punctuation, and sentence construction. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('The diagram illustrate'), missing articles ('production the sugar'), incomplete sentences ('The main stages of harvesting, crushing and purifying juice. Followed by heating...'), and incorrect verb forms ('the separated sugar crystals'). Punctuation is also erratic, with missing capital letters and periods in places. The frequency of these errors places this response firmly in the Band 5 category.

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