Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-07
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 exemplify the step by step stages of how sugar is formed.
Overall this show the cyclic process of how sugar is formed through sugarcane,From growing sugar canes to collings process .
Commence the stages begin with the growing of sugaarcane which takes 12 to 18 months to fully grow ,following this harvesting the sugar canes with hands or with heavy machinery.After this canes are crushing by machine so the juice can extract from the sugar canes.
Moving on to the next part the juice are going under the process of filter so they can purify it.afterward juice are going under the heat process so water evaporates and juice take the shape of syrup.afer this the syrup is spun in centrifuge machine to separate the sugar crystal from the liquid.Lastly sugar crystal are going through drying and cooling and then the sugar is formed.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You cover the main sequence from growing and harvesting cane through crushing, purification, evaporation, centrifuging, and final drying and cooling. The growth period of 12 to 18 months and the two harvesting methods are also accurately reported. However, the overview is unclear: calling the process “cyclic” is not supported, as the diagram shows a linear sequence, and “collings process” does not clearly identify the final stages. Some details are imprecise, such as saying water evaporates, which is not explicitly shown. The response is five words below the required minimum, and several stages could be described more precisely. A clearer overview and fuller, accurate reporting of the process would strengthen task coverage.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The stages are presented in the correct general order, and sequencing phrases such as “After this,” “Moving on,” and “Lastly” help the reader follow the process. However, the response is written as one paragraph, so the overview and detailed stages are not clearly separated. Some transitions feel mechanical or repetitive, and punctuation problems—for example, the comma joined directly to “From” in the overview—interrupt the flow. The phrase “Commence the stages begin” also makes the progression difficult to follow. Use a distinct overview paragraph followed by a process paragraph, and connect stages with varied, accurate transitions and clear sentence boundaries.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvesting,” “crushing,” “purify,” “evaporates,” and “centrifuge,” which makes the general meaning understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate: “the diagram exemplify” should be “the diagram illustrates,” “collings process” is unclear, and “the juice are going under the process of filter” is not natural English. There are also spelling errors such as “sugaarcane” and “afer.” These errors make the description less precise and sometimes slow the reader. Build a bank of accurate process verbs and collocations, such as “is filtered,” “is heated,” and “is separated,” and check spelling before submitting.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt to describe several stages in connected sentences, including a time clause (“which takes 12 to 18 months”) and sequencing clauses. However, grammatical errors are frequent, and the range of sentence structures remains limited; attempts at longer constructions are often faulty. Examples include “The diagram exemplify,” “Overall this show,” “the juice are,” and “sugar crystal are,” where subject–verb agreement is incorrect. Passive forms needed for a process description are also often inaccurate, as in “canes are crushing by machine” and “the syrup is spun in centrifuge machine.” Sentence boundaries and punctuation are inconsistent. Practise forming accurate present-simple passive sentences, and check agreement, articles, and punctuation in each sentence.
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