Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-19
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 process of producing sugar from sugar cane.
Overall, sugar production involves sevreal stages , begnning with the harvesting and end up on the production of sugar cane . Approximately , this process take 12 to 18 months for growing before cultivation and harvesting.
Intially, Sugar cane is grown in flield for around 12 to 18 months untill it reaches maturity . When the sugar cane in growing then two ways are used in harvesting . First and foremost is hires a team of labour whose cultivate the sugar cane and secondly is used a specialised harvesting machines . After that sugan cane is transferred to the other stage of production.
Following this , nest step is crush the sugar cane and its convert in to the juice. So on purifying juice with the limestone filter and then give heat to the juice because after the evaporation its become a syrup.next step is centrifuse which is used for the separation of sugar crystals from syrup . final stage, dried and cooled the crystals and resulting in the finished sugar product.
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 cover the main stages in the correct general order, from growing and harvesting through crushing, purification, evaporation, centrifuging, and drying. The overview also identifies the growing period, and you correctly mention the two harvesting methods and the limestone filter. However, the overview is unclear when it says production ends with “the production of sugar cane”; the final product is sugar. Some process details are also underdeveloped: for example, explain that heating in the evaporator turns the juice into syrup, and that the centrifuge separates sugar crystals from the remaining syrup. A more precise overview of the complete transformation from cane to sugar would make the key features clearer.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the early and later stages. Sequencing expressions such as “After that,” “Following this,” and “next step” help the reader follow the process. However, some links are mechanical or unclear, and the final paragraph becomes a chain of loosely connected instructions: “So on purifying juice…” and “next step is centrifuse…” Use complete sentences and connect each stage more smoothly. The overview also repeats the growing period already described in the next paragraph. Clearer paragraph development and more precise referencing—for instance, stating what “this” or “it” refers to—would improve the progression.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use relevant process vocabulary, including “harvesting,” “limestone filter,” “evaporation,” “syrup,” and “sugar crystals,” which helps communicate the stages. However, spelling errors and inaccurate word choices are noticeable, including “sevreal,” “begnning,” “flield,” “sugan,” and “centrifuse.” Some phrases are also unnatural or imprecise: “production of sugar cane” refers to growing cane rather than making sugar, while “give heat to the juice” is less suitable than “heat the juice.” Build accuracy with common process collocations and check spelling carefully. A more consistent range of precise verbs, such as “extract,” “filter,” and “separate,” would make the description clearer and more appropriate to the task.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and more complex forms, including the time clause “until it reaches maturity” and the explanation beginning “because.” However, errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction are evident. For example, “this process take” should be “this process takes,” and “its convert in to the juice” needs a passive form such as “it is converted into juice.” The sentence “First and foremost is hires a team…” is also structurally incomplete. Several stages are presented as fragments, such as “next step is crush the sugar cane.” Practise forming complete sentences with accurate passive constructions, which are especially useful for describing processes, and check punctuation between stages.
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.