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 beneath layout illustrates how sugar is made from sugar cane.

In overview, production of sugar involoves 7 steps, In which the farming of sugar consumes largest time of all other activties. The harvesting can be done by machines or farmer both option can be utalised. Before selling in the market drying and cooling is necessary.

The first stage of sugar production starts with growing of sugar can which takes 12 to 18 months. Its cutting starts to make it ready for the crushing, it can be done by a man or a machine. crushing machine produce the liquid from the sugar canes before purifying it. Tools are used for sugar cane juices to heat it and make it ready for the next phase. During heat process juices becomes syrup through evaporation. However, in a centrifuge syrup and sugar crystals are separated. A big drum is used for drying and cooling of the sugar prior to sell it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by outlining the main stages of the sugar manufacturing process, from growing to drying and cooling. An overview is provided, noting the total number of steps and highlighting the growing phase. However, some aspects of the process are under-developed or described with slight inaccuracies, such as stating that tools are used to heat the juice, whereas the diagram shows an evaporator over heat. Key details from the visual, such as the two harvesting methods (manual and mechanical) and the limestone filter during purification, are mentioned but remain somewhat basic. To reach a higher band, the report needs to present a fully developed overview that integrates more precise mechanical details and avoids slight misinterpretations of the visual data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt to structure the response into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing the process steps. Information is generally presented in a logical sequence following the stages of the diagram. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical. For instance, the transition 'In overview, production of sugar involoves 7 steps, In which the farming of sugar consumes largest time of all other activties' uses awkward phrasing and punctuation comma splices. Furthermore, paragraphing is not fully optimised, and cohesive devices are occasionally repetitive or over-used. To improve, the writer should use smoother linking phrases to connect sequential stages and ensure referencing between sentences is tighter and more natural.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully communicating the main stages of sugar production with appropriate terms such as 'crushing', 'evaporation', 'syrup', and 'crystals'. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, including 'involoves', 'utalised', and 'centrifuge', but these attempts are accompanied by spelling errors ('involoves', 'utalised', 'can') and occasional awkward word choices, such as 'consumes largest time of all other activties'. These errors do not seriously impede communication, but they restrict the response to a moderate band. To achieve a higher score, the writer needs to expand their range of vocabulary, improve spelling accuracy, and employ more precise collocations when describing industrial processes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The text displays a mix of simple and some complex sentence forms, such as 'Before selling in the market drying and cooling is necessary' and 'During heat process juices becomes syrup through evaporation.' There are, however, frequent errors in grammar and punctuation throughout the response. Examples include missing articles ('The beneath layout', 'in overview', 'to sell it'), subject-verb agreement issues ('juices becomes'), and awkward prepositional phrases ('consumes largest time'). While these errors rarely impede overall communication, they demonstrate a limited control of complex structures and frequent slips. To improve, the writer should focus on mastering basic sentence structures, ensuring proper article usage, and maintaining correct subject-verb agreement across all clauses.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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