Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-02

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 complete process of making sugar from sugar cane.

Overall, This process include several steps from growing sugar cane to Drying and cooling . it is a linear man made process.

Initally , the process begin with Growing sugar canes for 12 to 18months, then Harvesting the sugar canes by machine or human , then Crushing the sugar canes and get the juice from it. later on by using Limestone filter purifying the juice.

additionally, By using Evaporator convert juice to syrup by giving heat , follwed by Centrifuge that divides sugar crystals from syrup, then drying and cooling the sugar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the main stages of the sugar manufacturing process from growing to drying and cooling, covering key steps such as crushing, purifying with a limestone filter, evaporation, and centrifugation. However, the length requirement is not met, as the response contains only 104 words, falling significantly short of the 150-word minimum. Because of this limited development and short length, the overview is extremely brief ('This process include several steps...') and fails to fully summarize the main features and overall trends of the diagram. To improve, you must ensure you write at least 150 words and expand upon the relationship between the different stages to provide a fully rounded overview.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognizable overall structure and attempts to sequence the steps using transition words like 'Initally', 'then', 'later on', and 'additionally'. However, paragraphing is underdeveloped, and the flow is mechanical and choppy rather than demonstrating a smooth, logical progression. Referencing and cohesive devices are somewhat repetitive and basic, relying heavily on sequential connectors without varying sentence openings or linking clauses effectively. To reach a higher level, you should organize your ideas into well-defined paragraphs—such as a clear introduction with an overview, followed by two body paragraphs grouping the stages logically—and use a wider variety of cohesive devices to connect your sentences seamlessly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task, successfully incorporating process-specific terms from the diagram such as 'sugar cane', 'harvesting', 'crushing', 'limestone filter', 'evaporator', 'centrifuge', and 'syrup'. However, there are notable word-form and spelling errors, such as 'man made' (hyphenation needed), 'Initally' (misspelled), 'begin' instead of 'begins', and 'follwed' (misspelled). The range of vocabulary is limited, and attempts at less common lexical items are basic. To improve, focus on eliminating spelling mistakes, ensuring accurate word forms (e.g., matching verbs to subjects), and incorporating more precise paraphrasing and synonyms rather than relying entirely on the labels provided in the prompt.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a very limited range of grammatical structures, consisting mainly of fragmented clauses and simple lists rather than complete, well-formed sentences. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('This process include' instead of 'includes'), missing articles (e.g., 'by machine or human', 'giving heat'), and incorrect capitalization and punctuation. Complex sentence forms are virtually absent; instead, sentences are strung together with commas or conjunctions incorrectly. To achieve a higher score, you need to practice forming complete sentences with a mix of simple and complex structures, paying careful attention to verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, articles, and punctuation.

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

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