Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-20

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)

Given illustration is a process flow diagram of sugar synthesis from sugarcane.

Overall, it includes seven steps. In each of the steps, Sugarcane is transformed and converted in - lieu of obtainning sugar as the last product.

To begin with, Sugarcane is grown in a vast field for 12 - 18 months till it matures and ripens. When it reaches the desired state, it is harvested with the help of farm tractors and physical human labour is also involved. After that, juice from the sugarcane is extracted with the help of crusher. Raw acquired sugarcane is put into the crusher from one end and the juice is obtained from its other end. Then the extracted juice is passed through a limestone filter to purify its content. After that, the purified juice is then transferred into an evaporator which is a cone shaped equipment and is heated so that sugar syrup can be obtained. Then the syrup is centrifuged and crystals of sugar end as a by-product. The crystals are later cooled an

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as having seven stages and report several key details accurately, including the 12–18-month growing period, the two harvesting methods, crushing, limestone filtration and heating in an evaporator. The overview, however, is vague: saying sugarcane is transformed into sugar does not summarise the main stages or explain the process’s overall progression. Some details are also inaccurate or unclear. The evaporator is not described as cone-shaped in the visual, and the centrifuge separates sugar crystals from syrup; the crystals are not a by-product. The final stage is drying and cooling, but your response ends before clearly completing this stage. To strengthen the report, give a concise overview and describe the separation and final treatment precisely, without adding unsupported details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The stages are generally presented in the correct order, and sequencing phrases such as “To begin with,” “After that,” and “Then” help the reader follow the process. However, the response is largely one continuous paragraph, so the overview is not clearly separated from the detailed account. The repeated use of “After that” and “Then” also makes the linking somewhat mechanical. Some connections between stages could be expressed more precisely—for example, explain that the syrup enters the centrifuge, where crystals are separated from the remaining syrup. Organise the response into a brief introduction and overview followed by a clearly developed process description, and vary the transitions while keeping the sequence explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of process vocabulary, including “harvested,” “extracted,” “limestone filter,” “evaporator,” and “centrifuged,” which makes the account recognisably focused on manufacturing. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “process flow diagram” and “desired state.” Some choices are inaccurate or unnatural, however: “sugar synthesis” is less appropriate than “sugar production,” “in lieu of” does not fit the intended meaning, and “crystals … as a by-product” mislabels the product. “Raw acquired sugarcane” is also awkward. Choose direct, precise process terms and check collocations and spelling, including “obtaining,” rather than “obtainning.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes both simple and more developed sentence forms, including a time clause (“When it reaches the desired state”) and a purpose/result clause (“so that sugar syrup can be obtained”). Most of the process remains understandable, but some grammatical choices reduce accuracy. In “In each of the steps, Sugarcane is transformed and converted,” the capitalisation is unnecessary and the paired verbs are awkward; “the sugarcane is processed” would be clearer. The phrase “crystals of sugar end as a by-product” has an unclear verb construction, while “The crystals are later cooled an” is incomplete and leaves the final sentence unfinished. Use complete sentences, maintain consistent tense, and proofread sentence endings and punctuation.

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