Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-01
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 shows the different steps to manufacture sugar from sugarcane.
Overall, The process involves several steps and different equipments. From growing of sugarcane,harvesting,processing to obtain the final product.
The process starts from the growing of sugarcane,Two major ways such as manual and machinery used for the harvesting of sugarcane. Next step is the crushing of sugarcane to extract the juice. Limstone filter used to remove the impurities from the juice.
For the final product, Evaporator is used to convert extracted juice into syrup. After heating in evaporator, the syrup obtain as the final product is furthuer pass through the process of centrifugtion to seperate the sugar crystals from syrup. Drying and coolong is the final step in which syrup cooled down and convert into fine pieces of sugar.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses the task partially, as it is 21 words short of the 150-word minimum, which impacts the overall development. While the writer outlines the main stages of sugar production from growing to drying and cooling, some parts are limited or under-developed. For instance, the description moves too quickly through complex mechanical steps like the centrifuge and evaporating processes without fully explaining the sequence or connection between them. The overview provided in the second paragraph is also slightly disjointed. To achieve a higher band, the response must meet the minimum word count and extend the discussion of key data points and stages with greater clarity and depth.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
There is some basic organisation in the text, with an attempt to follow a chronological sequence from growing to the final product. However, there is no clear overall progression due to abrupt transitions and mechanical links such as 'Next step is' and 'For the final product'. Paragraphing is underutilised, as the response is lumped into short, choppy blocks that do not effectively group related information. Referencing is also weak in places, such as when introducing equipment without proper articles or integration. To improve, the writer needs to use a wider and more accurate range of cohesive devices and structure the report into logical paragraphs that guide the reader smoothly through the process.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to describe the process, featuring domain-specific terms like 'sugarcane', 'juice', 'syrup', and 'centrifugation'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors throughout the text, such as 'equipments' (an uncountable noun treated as plural), 'Limstone' (spelling error), 'furthuer', 'seperate', and 'coolong'. These errors and awkward collocations cause some difficulty for the reader and reflect a restricted lexical control. To reach the next band, the writer should eliminate basic spelling mistakes, avoid treating uncountable nouns as countable, and incorporate a more precise variety of vocabulary to describe industrial processes.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The text displays a very limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on simple clauses and verbless or passive constructions that lack necessary articles and auxiliary verbs, such as in 'Limstone filter used to remove' or 'syrup obtain as the final product'. Attempts at complex structures are frequently faulty, leading to missing prepositions and poor clause integration, as seen in 'After heating in evaporator, the syrup obtain... is furthuer pass through'. Frequent grammatical errors in verb forms, missing articles, and word forms cause difficulty for the reader. To improve, the writer must focus on basic sentence construction, accurate use of passive voice, correct verb agreement, and consistent inclusion of articles.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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