Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-29

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 process of how the sugar is made from sugarcane.

Overall, it is a linear process consisting of seven stages initializes from harvesting of sugarcane and ending with ready of sugar. The process includes growing, harvesting, crushing, purifying, heating, separating, evaporating, centrifuging and finally drying the sugar.

Initially, the sugarcane is grown with a period of twelve to eighteen months until its maturity. Then it is harvested in two ways either manually by workers or mechanically by tractors and combines. After the harvesting, the sugarcane is transferred to crushing machines, which stalks are converted from solid to liquid.

Probing further, the juice is transported to purifying through limestone filter to remove impurities from it. Following the filtration stage, the juice put on the stove for heating which evaporates water and remaining liquid is syrup. Next, syrup puts into centrifuge machines that separates sugar crystals from syrup. In the final stage, the sugar crystals are dried and cooled to make sugar and it is ready for packaging and distributing.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response covers all key stages of the sugar manufacturing process, from the initial growing period of twelve to eighteen months through harvesting, crushing, purifying, evaporating, centrifuging, and finally drying and cooling. The student successfully identifies the main features, such as the two harvesting methods (manual and mechanical) and the limestone filter used during purification. The overview provides a clear summary of the process as a seven-stage linear sequence. However, there are minor confusions in the sequencing and listing of stages in the second paragraph, where 'evaporating' and 'centrifuging' are repeated out of order, slightly detracting from the overall clarity of the summary. Nevertheless, all parts of the visual data are adequately addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The report demonstrates a logical overall progression, following the linear steps of the diagram from start to finish. Paragraphing is utilised adequately to separate the introduction, overview, and body steps. Cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'Then', 'After the harvesting', and 'In the final stage' help guide the reader through the sequence. However, referencing and cohesion occasionally become mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'initializes from harvesting' and the dense listing of steps in the second paragraph. Paragraph structure could be further refined to ensure smoother transitions between the complex transformation stages.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a process description, incorporating terms like 'maturity', 'manually', 'mechanically', 'impurities', 'evaporates', and 'crystals'. There are, however, several lexical inaccuracies and awkward collocations throughout the text, such as 'ready of sugar', 'which stalks are converted', 'the juice put on the stove for heating', and 'remaining liquid is syrup'. Despite these errors, the meaning is generally clear, and the student attempts less common vocabulary with varying degrees of success, placing the response firmly in the band 6 category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including passive structures like 'the sugarcane is transferred' and 'the sugar crystals are dried and cooled', which are appropriate for academic process descriptions. However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'how the sugar is made', 'stages initializes from', 'the juice put on', and 'next, syrup puts into'. Punctuation is mostly acceptable, but article usage and verb forms require tighter control. These errors do not impede overall communication, but they prevent the writing from achieving a higher band score.

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