Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-12

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 rendered diagram illustrate the proces of producing sugar from sugarcane.

At the first glance, sugarcane is grown in the field of approximately(12-18months) until it becomes mature. After that, the crop is harvested either by manually hand and machine. In the nextstep, the harvested sugarcane is crushed by machine in order to juice. and then the limestone filter. This juice to then purifying by passing it through a filter to remove juice.

Subsequently, the clean juice is heated in an evaporator, where water is removed from the liquid. In the next stage, the syrup is placed in a centrifuge, which separates the sugar crustals from the remaining liquid. In the final stage, these crystals and dried cooled. Finally, the finished sugar ready is used.

Overall, it can be analysed that in this process all the steps are linked with each other. specially, sugarcane is grown of the sugar and last step sugar are crystals and dried cooled.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main stages, including growing, harvesting by two methods, crushing, filtering, heating, centrifuging and drying. The stated growing period is also accurate, and you recognise that the process ends with sugar crystals. However, some stages are unclear or inaccurately described: “remove juice” does not explain that the limestone filter purifies the juice, and the account does not clearly state that the centrifuge separates crystals from the remaining syrup. The overview, “all the steps are linked with each other,” is too general to summarise the process’s main features. Give a concise overview of the linear sequence and final product, then describe each stage precisely, avoiding unsupported details such as water being removed unless clearly presented as an inference.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response follows the diagram’s sequence, and time and sequence markers such as “After that,” “Subsequently,” and “In the final stage” help readers track the process. The stages are mostly presented in a sensible order, so the overall arrangement is coherent. However, the overview is placed at the end and repeats the idea that the steps are linked rather than summarising the process. Some transitions are awkward or unclear, particularly “and then the limestone filter” and “This juice to then purifying,” which interrupt the progression. Organise the response into a brief introduction and overview followed by a clearly sequenced process description, and use linking phrases only where they clarify the relationship between stages.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use several relevant process terms, including “harvested,” “limestone filter,” “evaporator,” “centrifuge,” and “crystals,” which show some task-specific vocabulary. However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable and sometimes make the process difficult to understand: “proces,” “crustals,” “purifying,” and “dried cooled” are examples. Some combinations are also unnatural, such as “harvested either by manually hand and machine” and “the finished sugar ready is used.” Aim for accurate, natural collocations and use the diagram’s labels where possible—for example, “harvested mechanically or by hand” and “the crystals are dried and cooled.” This would make the description clearer and more precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including the relative clause “where water is removed from the liquid” and the clause “which separates the sugar crustals from the remaining liquid.” However, errors occur frequently, and several sentences are incomplete or have faulty verb forms. For example, “The rendered diagram illustrate” has subject–verb disagreement, while “This juice to then purifying” lacks a correct verb construction. “These crystals and dried cooled” is missing a passive verb, and “the finished sugar ready is used” has an unclear sentence structure. Practise forming accurate passive sentences for process descriptions, such as “The juice is purified” and “The crystals are dried and cooled,” and check agreement, articles and punctuation.

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

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