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 diagram illustrates the stages invovled in manufacturing sugar from suagracane.

Overall, the process consist of several consecutive stages, begining with growing sugarcanes and ending with drying and cooling of sugar. The sugarcane is crushing and making juice becomes syrup before it dried.

First, sugarcane is growing about 12-18 months and harvesting with the help of machines.It is then crushing the sugarcanes and make juice. This juice is pour into limestone filter for purifying.

Next, the juice will be boiling under the fire using the big vessel it is called evaporator which used to make syrup from the purifying juice. After it reaches its final process where sugar is drying and cooling.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the process as sugar production and give a basic overview from growing cane to drying and cooling. You also include the 12–18-month growing period and several central stages, such as crushing, filtering and evaporation. However, the response covers the diagram only partially: it says harvesting is done with machines, omitting the hand-harvesting method, and leaves out the centrifuge, where crystals are separated from syrup. The final stages are also compressed, so the sequence and outcome are not fully explained. The response is 112 words, below the required 150, which limits the detail you can provide. To strengthen the report, describe every major stage accurately and add relevant detail about the two harvesting methods and separation process.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs describing the process in sequence. The transitions “First” and “Next” help signal progression, and the reader can generally follow the movement from growing to processing. This clear overall arrangement is a strength. However, the final stages are not linked clearly: after evaporation, the account jumps to drying and cooling without explaining the centrifuge stage. Some sentences also connect actions awkwardly, such as “It is then crushing the sugarcanes and make juice,” which makes the sequence less smooth. Use a separate sentence for each stage and cohesive references such as “the resulting syrup” and “the crystals” to make the links clearer and more precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvesting,” “limestone filter,” “evaporator,” “syrup,” and “drying and cooling,” so the topic is clear. There is some useful variety in naming the stages and equipment. However, the range is limited, and several word choices or forms are inaccurate: “under the fire” is not a natural way to describe heating, while “the sugarcane is crushing” does not express the intended process correctly. Spelling errors such as “invovled,” “suagracane,” and “begining” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise process verbs and standard spelling, and use terms such as “crushed,” “filtered,” and “separated” to describe what happens at each stage.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple sentences and longer structures, including the overview sentence beginning “Overall” and the sequence introduced by “First.” However, control of verb forms and sentence construction is inconsistent. For example, “the process consist” needs subject–verb agreement, and “The sugarcane is crushing” uses an incorrect passive form. In “This juice is pour,” the past participle is also missing; “is poured” would be grammatical. The sentence “After it reaches its final process where sugar is drying and cooling” is incomplete and does not clearly connect to the preceding idea. Use consistent passive forms for a process description, and check agreement, articles and sentence completeness. More accurate simple structures would improve clarity before you add complexity.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.