Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-17

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 given shows the steps of how sugar cane is processed to obtain sugar from it.

Overall, the number of total steps are seven, Initial step is to grow the crops of sugar canes and it will take around 12 to 18 months. After the growth period is completed the farmers will begin to harvest the sugar cane field by using machines like tractor etc. When sugar cane is collected the further step will be crushing them. It can be done through using crushing machine and at the end of this process the juice of sugar cane will be collected in the jar of that machine. The liquid obtained from crushing of sugar cane will be purified through limestone filter so that no impuritiy will remain in the juice for futher processing. The fifth step will be heating the juice in the evaporator to convert the juice into syrup. When the syrup is ready, the next step is to separate the crystals from the syrup and this process is called centrifugation. The final step is drying and cooling the syrup after removing crystals from it . Now the powdered substance formed after cooling the syrup is sugar which is the end product of sugar cane.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as having seven stages and include the growing period of 12–18 months, followed by crushing, purification, evaporation, centrifugation, and drying and cooling. This gives the reader a generally accurate account of the sequence. However, some details are incomplete or inaccurate: harvesting is described only as mechanical, although the diagram also shows hand harvesting, and the final product is called a “powdered substance,” which is not specified. The overview is mainly a count and a list of stages rather than a concise summary of the process’s main features. To strengthen the response, report both harvesting methods and describe the key transformation from cane to juice, syrup, crystals, and finally sugar without adding unsupported details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The stages are presented in the correct general order, and sequencing phrases such as “the fifth step,” “the next step,” and “the final step” help the reader follow the process. However, the response is written as one long paragraph, so the overview and detailed stages are not clearly separated. The repeated step-by-step framing also makes the progression somewhat mechanical, while several sentences are joined into an extended chain with “and” or “so that.” Organise the response into a brief overview followed by a paragraph describing the stages, and use clearer links to show how each material changes and moves to the next stage. This would make the overall progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “purified,” “evaporator,” “syrup,” and “centrifugation,” which helps communicate the main stages. However, some wording is imprecise or repetitive: “steps of how” is awkward, “jar of that machine” is not a natural description of the juice container, and “powdered substance” adds an unsupported description of the sugar. There are also spelling errors in “impuritiy” and “futher.” Aim for more precise process collocations, such as “juice is collected in a container” and “sugar crystals are separated from the syrup.” A broader set of accurate verbs for processing and transformation would improve clarity and control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response uses both simple statements and longer sentences, and the sequence is generally understandable. However, control is uneven, particularly in sentence construction and agreement. For example, “the number of total steps are seven” has a subject–verb agreement error, while “Initial step is to grow” is missing an article. The opening phrase “The diagram given shows the steps of how…” is also awkwardly constructed. Several long sentences combine multiple stages, making punctuation and clause boundaries difficult to manage; the space before the full stop in “from it .” is another punctuation slip. Use shorter, clearly punctuated sentences and check articles, agreement, and sentence openings when revising.

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