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 image illustrates process of making a sugar from raw sugar cane sticks.

Overall, it has seven different steps to make a sugar and in which first step generally start with cutting of grown sugar cane sticks directly from the farm and it goes through various types of systematic processes such as crushing, puring the liquid etc. and at the last, it put into big utensil to make it dry.

At the first, the main raw material is a sugar cane stick , which mostly grown by the farmers in their farm and it takes 12-18 months to grow. Secondly, the sugar sticks will cut into pieces by the harvester machine. Thirdly, a pieces of sticks will be crushed by the crusher machine. Eventually it will turn in the liquid form as a juice. After then, that juice will be purified by the softner machine which will divide all unnecessary items from it.

The most important part is Evaporator where sugar syrup is being heated in big chimney. Moreover the sugar will be separated from the other crystals and finally, it will go for drying and cooling process.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the process as having seven stages and include the growing period of 12–18 months, crushing, purification, evaporation, separation, and drying and cooling. This gives a relevant account of the main sequence. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the diagram shows two harvesting methods, by machine and by hand, whereas you mention only a harvester; it does not say the cane is cut into pieces before crushing. The purification stage uses a limestone filter, not a “softner machine,” and the evaporator heats juice until it becomes syrup rather than using a “big chimney.” Your overview also gives limited emphasis to the transformation from cane to juice, syrup, crystals, and finally dried sugar. More precise reporting of these stages would strengthen the summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is arranged in a generally logical order, moving from an introduction and overview to the early stages and then the later processing. Sequencing expressions such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “Finally” help the reader follow the process. However, the overview repeats details that are then covered again, and some links are mechanical or awkward, including “After then” and “Moreover.” The final paragraph also compresses evaporation, separation, and drying into a few loosely connected statements, so the relationship between these stages is not always clear. Use paragraphs to group the overview and the sequential stages, and connect each stage explicitly to the next—for example, explain that the syrup enters a centrifuge before the crystals are dried and cooled.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “crushed,” “juice,” “purified,” “evaporator,” and “drying and cooling,” which makes the topic clear. There are also attempts at more specific language, such as “raw sugar cane” and “separated.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “softner machine” does not describe the limestone filter, “big chimney” is not an appropriate name for the evaporator, and “utensil” is too general for the equipment shown. Spelling and word-form errors such as “puring” and “sugar cane sticks” also reduce precision. Aim to use the diagram’s technical labels and natural collocations, such as “sugar cane,” “limestone filter,” and “sugar crystals.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, and the sequence is usually understandable. However, errors with articles, agreement, verb forms, and sentence construction are noticeable. For example, “making a sugar” needs a different article or no article, while “it takes 12-18 months to grow” has an unclear subject. In “a pieces of sticks will be crushed,” the article and plural form do not agree; “the sugar will be separated” also obscures the intended plural crystals. The overview sentence beginning “Overall, it has seven different steps” becomes difficult to follow because several ideas are joined without clear grammatical structure. Practise accurate passive forms for process descriptions and build longer sentences around one clear stage at a time.

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