Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-05

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 illustrates the data about the steps required for making of sugar from sugar cane.

The manufacturing of sugar from sugar cane is done in eight steps.

In the first we grow the sugar canes in fields for minimum twelve months and maximum for eighteen months. Then these are cut out with hands or through harvester machines and collect it into a trolly. In the third step these are out into crushing machine from one side and collect it as a juice from another side of machine. The impurities are filtered by using of limestone filter. In the fifth step the juice is changed into another form called syrup with the use of evaporator. The juice is heated up by giving them heat. The syrup contains the crystals of sugar which are separated with the help of rotating the centrifuge in a particular direction. In the last step these sugar crystals are dry out and cooled by placing it into a tank.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the main parts of the task by outlining the general stages of sugar cane production from growing to cooling. However, some aspects of the process are only partially covered or are described with limited clarity. For instance, the transition between stages is sometimes mechanical, and the student relies on listing steps rather than fully developing an overarching overview of the process. While the key stages such as crushing, purifying, and evaporating are mentioned, the explanation of how the centrifuge works or how the final product is achieved lacks precision. To reach a higher level, the response should include a clear introductory overview highlighting the main features of the process and ensure that all steps are elaborated with greater clarity and detail.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The text demonstrates a basic overall arrangement, using sequential transitions like 'In the first', 'Then', and 'In the third step' to guide the reader through the diagram. However, the progression lacks sophistication, and cohesive devices are sometimes repetitive or mechanical. Paragraphing is also an area for improvement; the body of the process is condensed into a single dense paragraph rather than being logically broken down into distinct stages such as preparation, processing, and finishing. Referencing can be unclear at times, such as ambiguous pronoun use like 'these' and 'it', which makes tracking the subject of the sentences slightly difficult. Developing better paragraph structure and employing a wider variety of cohesive devices would significantly enhance the logical flow of the response.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully communicating the basic steps with everyday terms such as 'growing', 'harvesting', 'crushing', and 'evaporator'. The student attempts some less common vocabulary related to the process, such as 'impurities', 'limestone filter', and 'centrifuge', though some word choices and collocations are slightly unnatural or inaccurate, such as 'cut out with hands' instead of 'harvested by hand' or 'giving them heat' instead of 'heating'. Spelling is generally accurate, but occasional awkward phrasing and word form errors, such as 'dry out' instead of 'dried', indicate a need for greater precision. Expanding the range of vocabulary and ensuring accurate collocations would elevate the lexical score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writing relies predominantly on a limited range of simple and moderately complex sentence structures, often repeating basic subject-verb-object patterns. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including incorrect prepositions ('in the first' instead of 'initially'), awkward passive and active voice shifts ('these are cut out', 'collect it into a trolly'), article errors ('into a crushing machine'), and issues with pluralisation and subject-verb agreement ('the syrup contains the crystals... which are separated with the help of rotating the centrifuge'). These frequent errors can occasionally cause difficulty for the reader and distract from the content. Greater control over complex sentence forms, article usage, and prepositions is needed to improve grammatical accuracy.

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