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 picture below explians the production of sugar from stretch using sugar cane.

The procedure is divided into 7 steps. The first step is to plant sugar cane roots. The growth of sugar cane typically takes around 12 to 18 months. Within those months the roots grow up in a long size plant. After that, the grown up plant is seperated from its roots, by using a specified euipment by farmers and this method is known as harvesting. In the third step the seperated part of sugar cane is crushed into a machine which forms juice. Next step involves purification of juice in the cone shape purifier known as limestone filter. Similarly, cone shape evaporator is used to made syrup out of the juice. The sixth step is to separate suagr fro m syrup using a round and moving centrifuge. The last and final part is to cool and dry the seperated sugar.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt by attempting to outline the main steps in the sugar production process, but it fails to present a clear overview of the overall process. Some details are under-developed or inaccurate, such as mentioning that the roots are planted and harvested, which misinterprets the diagram showing the cane itself growing and being harvested. While the sequence of steps is generally followed, the lack of a distinct overview and the presence of minor factual inaccuracies keep the task achievement at a restricted level. To move up, the response needs to include a clear introductory summary highlighting the main stages and key features of the process without introducing extraneous details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The text shows an overall coherent arrangement and follows a logical chronological progression through the seven steps of the process. The writer uses sequential transitional markers such as 'The first step', 'After that', 'In the third step', and 'The sixth step' to guide the reader. However, paragraphing is faulty because the entire response is presented as a single block of text rather than being structured into proper paragraphs separating the introduction, overview, and body details. Cohesion is sometimes mechanical due to repetitive transitional phrases. To improve, the writer should organise the text into distinct paragraphs and employ a wider, more flexible variety of cohesive devices to link ideas smoothly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to describe basic actions and equipment like 'crushed', 'juice', 'limestone filter', and 'centrifuge'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors, awkward word choices, and spelling mistakes throughout the text, such as 'explians', 'stretch' instead of stage, 'seperated', 'euipment', and 'suagr fro m'. Attempts to use less common vocabulary often result in inaccurate word forms or collocations. To reach a higher band, the writer needs to expand their lexical range, ensure precise word choice, and pay closer attention to spelling and correct word forms when discussing technical or process-specific terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a limited range of sentence structures, relying primarily on simple sentences and basic active forms. When the writer attempts more complex formulations, errors occur, such as omission of articles or faulty prepositional phrases like 'in the cone shape purifier' and 'made syrup out of the juice' instead of 'make'. There are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, including missing commas and article misuse, though they do not completely impede overall communication. To achieve a higher score, the writer must incorporate a wider variety of complex sentence structures with greater accuracy, ensuring better control over verb forms, articles, and punctuation.

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

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