Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-15
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 process diagram provides the information about the making of sugar from raw sugar cane.
Overall, the process has seven processing steps starting from the cultivation and harvesting of sugar cane following by crushing process and all the way of purifying to making syrup and at last drying and cooling process.
At the begginning of the process, sugar cane is cultivating and growing for 12 to 18 months untill it becomes mature and then it harvested by labour through physicaly or by using the means of technology such as machines.
Now the main process begins by crushing the sugar cane to get the sweet syrup of it .In the following process the juice undergoes a crucial steps of purifying and evaporating where it converts into syrup form .
In the last steps the syrup pass through a centrifugal process where further filteration take place and sugar crystals seperate from syrup And these crystal then cool down and dry which become final product lik
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
You identify the process as a sequence from growing sugar cane to a dried final product, and your overview captures several central stages, including harvesting, crushing, purification, evaporation and cooling. The stated growing period of 12 to 18 months is accurate. However, some stages are described imprecisely: crushing produces juice, not syrup, and the centrifuge separates sugar crystals from syrup rather than carrying out further filtration. The two harvesting methods are mentioned generally but not clearly identified as mechanical and manual. The final outcome is also left incomplete. To make the account more fully informative, report each stage in order and explain the key transformation at the evaporator and centrifuge accurately.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, an overview and paragraphs describing the beginning and later stages. Sequencing phrases such as “At the beginning,” “In the following process” and “In the last steps” help the reader follow the process. However, progression becomes less clear where stages are compressed together, particularly in the paragraph that combines purification and evaporation. The overview also repeats several details rather than clearly summarising the process’s main pattern. Some linking is mechanical, and the final sentence ends abruptly, weakening the sense of completion. Use one clear stage or group of related stages per sentence, and connect each stage explicitly to the next.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use relevant process vocabulary, including “cultivation,” “crushing,” “purifying,” “evaporating” and “centrifugal,” so the reader can generally understand the subject. However, the range and control are limited by inaccurate or awkward word choices and spelling, such as “filteration,” “begginning” and “seperate.” Some expressions are not natural for this process: “sweet syrup” is used for the juice produced by crushing, while “physicaly” and “means of technology” are imprecise descriptions of manual and mechanical harvesting. Choose established process terms and check spelling carefully. More precise vocabulary would help distinguish the juice, syrup and sugar crystals at each stage.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a relative clause in “where it converts into syrup form,” and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, errors in verb forms, agreement and sentence construction occur across the response. For example, “sugar cane is cultivating and growing” should use a passive form such as “is cultivated and grown,” and “then it harvested” needs an auxiliary verb. In “the syrup pass” and “crystals seperate,” subject–verb agreement is also incorrect. Punctuation is inconsistent, with missing spaces after full stops and an unfinished final sentence. Practise accurate passive constructions, which are especially useful for describing processes, and proofread each sentence for a complete ending.
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