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 visual data below provides the information about the production for making sugar from sugar cane. Overall, there are seven stages included in the process of sugar making which are interlinked with each other.

To begin, the initial process starts with the cultivation of sugar canes which takes time for almost 1/2 year to fully grow, followed by a procedure called harvesting. The machine cuts the sticks of sugar cane and then a farmer peels of the branches. Furthermore, sugar canes has been placed into a crusher machine. The crusher machine squeezed the sugar canes, finally juice from sugar canes come out and store it into a big pot. After that juice has been placed in a limestone filter to clear unwanted particles.

Moreover, in evaporator machine, juice took the form of syrup by excessive heat. Then sugar crystals has been seperated by a machine called centrifugal, Ultimately sugar has taken its shape in the form of white tiny crystals by drying and cooling process.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response attempts to cover all seven stages of the sugar manufacturing process shown in the diagram, meeting the minimum word count requirement easily. However, the task achievement is limited because some parts of the process are under-developed or inaccurately described. For instance, the text states that cultivation takes 'almost 1/2 year', whereas the diagram specifies 12-18 months (which is one to one-and-a-half years). Additionally, the description of harvesting incorrectly claims that 'The machine cuts the sticks of sugar cane and then a farmer peels of the branches', whereas the diagram shows two alternative methods (mechanical harvesting or manual harvesting by hand) rather than a two-step sequence involving both a machine and a farmer. While an overall summary is provided in the introduction, the inaccurate reporting of diagram details prevents a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The text presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear division into an introduction and body paragraphs that follow the chronological order of the manufacturing process. Cohesive devices are employed to guide the reader through the stages, such as 'To begin', 'Furthermore', 'After that', and 'Moreover'. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or repetitive, and referencing within sentences can occasionally be awkward. Paragraphing is used adequately to separate the initial stages from the later refining steps, but the progression feels slightly disjointed due to abrupt transitions between sentences rather than smooth, natural linking. Overall, the organizational structure is logical enough to maintain readability, fitting the requirements for this level.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terms related to the diagram such as 'cultivation', 'crushing', 'limestone filter', 'evaporator', and 'crystals'. However, there is a limited range of lexical items, and the response contains noticeable word-choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'the production for making sugar', 'peels of the branches' (instead of off), and 'juice took the form of syrup'. Furthermore, spelling and word-formation errors occur, including 'seperated' (instead of separated) and 'centrifugal' (used as a noun instead of centrifuge). These lexical slips and limited flexibility restrict the score for this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting to connect clauses using relative or subordinate structures. However, there is a limited range of grammatical structures overall, and frequent errors in verb forms, voice, and articles can be found throughout the text. Examples include 'sugar canes has been placed' (subject-verb agreement and passive voice errors), 'juice from sugar canes come out and store it' (tense consistency and pronoun reference issues), and 'sugar crystals has been seperated'. Punctuation is also occasionally weak. While these errors rarely completely impede communication, their frequency and the faulty execution of complex structures keep the grammar score at this level.

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