Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-22
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 diagram illustrates the manufacturing procedure for making suger from sugar cane.
Overall, this process contain seven main stages, starting from growing sugar cane and ending with drying and cooling the sugar crystals.
In the first stage, sugar cane growing for 12 to 18 months and when they reached to harvesting stage then the next step is harvesting these sugar canes and collect in a container. At the next stage sugar cane fed into a machine and then crushing and extract juice and gather into a big bowl. The process then continues with purifying juice with a limestone filter.
Once this completed the next step involved heating the sugar cane juice heated on high temperature where start evaporation process and juice convert into syrup, following this step, start a centrifuge procrdure where this syrup shaped into suger crystals. In the final stage crystals that separate from syrup tranfer for drying and cooling process.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student successfully identifies the main purpose of the diagram, which is the manufacturing process of producing sugar from sugar cane, and outlines all seven major stages from growing to drying and cooling. An overview is provided in the second sentence, noting the total number of stages and the start and end points. However, the response is relatively brief and lacks detailed expansion on specific sub-features, such as the two different methods of harvesting (mechanical versus manual) or the physical transformation of the juice during evaporation and centrifugation. Because all parts of the visual data are covered broadly and the main features are reported, the response meets the criteria for Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The text is structured logically with a clear introduction, an overview sentence, and a sequential body paragraph that follows the chronological flow of the diagram. Cohesive devices and transition signals such as 'In the first stage', 'At the next stage', 'Once this completed', and 'In the final stage' are used to guide the reader through the process. However, paragraphing is underdeveloped since the entire body of the process is compressed into a single block of text rather than being broken down into logical sub-stages. Additionally, some cohesive links feel a bit mechanical. Overall, the arrangement is coherent, fitting the Band 6.0 descriptor.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, incorporating process-related terms such as 'manufacturing procedure', 'crushing', 'extract juice', 'limestone filter', 'evaporation', 'syrup', and 'crystals'. However, there are multiple lexical errors and spelling mistakes throughout the text, such as 'suger' instead of 'sugar', 'procrdure' instead of 'procedure', and 'tranfer' instead of 'transfer'. Furthermore, the student relies heavily on basic or repetitive verbs ('growing', 'collect', 'fed', 'shaped') rather than demonstrating a wider, more flexible range of less common lexical items. This places the lexical performance firmly at Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but grammatical control is weak. There are frequent missing verbs, awkward phrasing, and preposition errors, such as 'sugar cane growing for 12 to 18 months and when they reached to harvesting stage' (fragmented and missing auxiliary verbs), 'heating the sugar cane juice heated on high temperature where start evaporation process' (redundant and ungrammatical), and 'crystals that separate from syrup tranfer for drying'. While communication is not entirely impeded and the overall meaning remains clear, the high frequency of grammatical slips prevents the score from reaching Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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