Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-08

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 5.0)

The diagram below illustrates the production of making sugar from sugar cane. The process is simply described by the giving diagram.

In the first step, we took sugar canes and then grown for 12 to 18 months. Afterwards, we were harvesting these sugar canes by using harvesting truck. In the third step, we were crushing these sugar canes by using crushing machine and then we obtained juice. In the fourth step, we used limestone filter to purifying the juice. In the fifth step, we used evaporator that gave heat to the juice and then juice became syrup. In the sixth step, we separated the sugar crystals from syrup. In the last stage, we were drying and cooling down that sugar crystals. After these steps, our sugar is ready to use in cooking.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the main stages in the correct order, including the 12–18-month growing period, crushing, purification, evaporation, separation, and drying and cooling. However, the response is brief and mostly lists steps rather than summarising the process’s main features. It omits the two harvesting methods shown (mechanical and manual), and does not clearly explain that the centrifuge separates crystals from syrup. The final claim that the sugar is ready for cooking is not shown in the diagram. The required minimum of 150 words is not met, which limits how fully you can report the process. Add a concise overview and include the important details shown, without adding unsupported outcomes.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The stages are presented in a generally understandable sequence, and signposts such as “In the first step,” “In the third step,” and “In the last stage” help the reader follow the process. This gives the response some organisation. However, the repeated step-by-step sentence pattern makes the progression mechanical, and the response has no distinct overview to frame the details. “Afterwards” and “After these steps” also provide little additional linking because the sequence is already clear. Group the stages into paragraphs—for example, cultivation and preparation, followed by processing—and use a brief overview to show the overall direction from cane to sugar. This would make the organisation clearer and less repetitive.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “limestone filter,” “evaporator,” “syrup,” and “sugar crystals,” so the reader can identify several key stages. However, the range is limited and some expressions are repetitive or imprecise. “The production of making sugar” is redundant, while “harvesting truck” does not accurately name the mechanical harvesting equipment shown. “We took sugar canes” and “our sugar is ready to use in cooking” are also unsuitable choices for a neutral process description. Aim for precise process verbs and avoid first-person wording. For example, describe cane as being harvested, crushed, and processed, and use “the finished sugar” rather than “our sugar.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response uses simple sentences and some sequencing clauses, and most of the process remains understandable. However, the grammatical range is limited, with repeated “we” constructions and past-tense forms that do not suit a general process description. Examples include “we took sugar canes and then grown” and “we were harvesting”; the first has an incomplete verb construction, while the second uses an unnecessary progressive past form. “We used limestone filter to purifying the juice” also has errors in article use and verb pattern. Use the present simple or passive consistently, such as “The cane is harvested” and “The juice is purified,” and check articles and the form of verbs after “to.”

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