Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-18

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 figure illustrates the stages involved in the production of suger from suger cane. There are seven steps involved in making suger, from growing the suger cane plants to drying and cooling the suger.

In the first stage, suger cane plants are harvested and left to grow for 18 to 12 months. In the next step,these suger cane plants are harvested either manualy or through a machine, followed by the crushing of suger canes via a particular machine to get juice out of it. In the fourth step, In order to purify and filter the suger cane juice has to be passed through a limestone.

In the next stage that purified juice is heated in an avaporator to let the maximum water content evaporate untill the juice become a syrup. In next subsequent stage , the obatined syrup is poured in centrifuge machine where the dense particals i.e sugar sets down and separated fromsyrup. In the final stage the sugar is dried and cooled and is ready to use.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response covers the process from cultivation through to the final drying and cooling stage, and it identifies the seven-step sequence. It also includes relevant details such as the two harvesting methods, crushing, limestone filtration and heating to produce syrup. However, some information is unclear or inaccurate: the growing period is given as “18 to 12 months” rather than 12–18 months, and the centrifuge is described as separating “dense particles” that “set down,” rather than separating sugar crystals from syrup. The overview is present, but it mainly counts the stages instead of highlighting the process’s overall progression from cane to sugar. More precise reporting of the final separation stage and a clearer overview would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The stages are presented in a generally logical order, and sequencing phrases such as “In the first stage,” “In the next step” and “In the final stage” help the reader follow the process. The response is arranged as two paragraphs, with an opening summary followed by a stage-by-stage account. However, the repeated use of “next” and “stage” makes the progression somewhat mechanical, and some links between ideas are awkward. For example, “In the next stage that purified juice is heated” would be clearer with punctuation and a more direct transition. The sentence beginning “In the fourth step” also repeats “In” and combines purification and filtering in a confusing way. Vary transitions and make each stage’s connection explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses relevant process vocabulary, including “crushing,” “limestone,” “evaporator,” “syrup” and “centrifuge,” which helps convey the main stages. However, spelling errors are noticeable, especially the repeated “suger,” as well as “manualy,” “avaporator,” “untill” and “obatined.” Some word choices are imprecise or unnatural: “sugar sets down” does not clearly describe the separation of crystals, and “particular machine” is vague. “Maximum water content evaporate” is also an awkward way to describe the process. Aim for accurate spelling and more precise process collocations, such as saying that crystals are separated from the remaining syrup.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

There is some variety in sentence structure, including a relative clause in “where the dense particals … separated fromsyrup” and a purpose construction in “In order to purify and filter.” Most stages remain understandable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. For example, “plants are harvested and left to grow” reverses the intended sequence, while “the juice become a syrup” has a subject–verb agreement error. The sentence “In order to purify and filter the suger cane juice has to be passed through a limestone” lacks a clear subject structure and an appropriate noun after “limestone.” Punctuation and spacing are also inconsistent, including “step,these” and “stage ,”. Check verb forms, sentence boundaries and articles when editing.

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